What skills should simulation training in arthroscopy teach residents?

Introduction This project surveyed a group of orthopedic surgeons in order to identify the skills related to arthroscopic surgery which practicing surgeons consider important for surgical trainees to possess before performing in the operating room. Materials and methods The survey was composed of 35 questions outlining fundamental skills of arthroscopy and methods that a surgical trainee might use to develop such skills. Surgeons were asked to rank the importance of each arthroscopic skill or usefulness of a learning method on a five point scale. Results It was reported that anatomy identification and navigation skills were deemed to be the most important for a trainee to posses prior to entering the operating room. It was also suggested that high fidelity simulation is preferred for training over low-fidelity bench top models. Conclusion These results will be used to help guide the development of simulator design and curriculum.