Use of 3-dimensional modeling and virtual reality in the education of posterior spinal instrumentation

Abstract

AIM: To assess the effectiveness and safety of Virtual Reality (VR) simulations for education of posterior spinal instrumentation. MATERIAL and METHODS: Participants were instructed to apply Cervical-Thoracic-Lumbar and Sacral posterior instrumentation techniques using the VR. Each participant underwent a qualitative assessment of the use of the VR. Patient-specific computed tomography (CT) studies were obtained to build a whole spinal model. Bone segmentation was performed upon the CT images. The participants can easily interact with the spinal model and evaluates the outcome from all the angles. RESULTS: A total of 63 participants who used VR stimulation as a primary application during the 4-day course were included in this study. The majority of our participants agreed with the benefit of the VR spinal instrumentation module, stating that it was useful for learning the 3D anatomy of the spinal region. Overall, according to the questionnaire and evaluations, the participants stated that this application was most beneficial in the education and preoperative planning. CONCLUSION: VR-based surgical training is a promising solution for surgical education, particularly for junior residents, for improving the understanding of spinal instrumentation. In addition, modelling of patient-specific CT scans on VR provides a unique opportunity for improving pre-operative planning and preventing surgical complications.