Integrating Simulation for Developing Pediatric Supracondylar Humeral Fracture Reduction and Fixation Skills into an Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program

Abstract

Supracondylar humeral fractures are the most common fracture managed with surgical intervention in the pediatric population. Academic providers involved in orthopaedic resident education must have confidence in the resident teams who help to manage these injuries. Surgical simulation of pediatric supracondylar humeral fractures provides orthopaedic residents an ideal setting to develop and refine their surgical technique to a defined level of proficiency. Through refinement of surgical techniques developed on a pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture model, all residents trained in this manner would be expected to be proficient and safe when performing the basic principles of surgery prior to experiencing them in a live operating room on a real pediatric patient. Surgeon confidence and skill can be increased while simultaneously decreasing operating room time, radiation exposure, and potentially improving patient outcomes. Residents at our institution have found working with the pediatric supracondylar humeral fracture simulation model very positive and beneficial. Participants report that the simulator improves their performance and increases their confidence in the operating room, scoring 4.8 and 4.5 out of 5, respectively.