Numerous medical training institutions have found that integrating simulation into their curriculum both improves training outcomes and ultimately supports better patient care.
Accelerate Training
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Simulators offer risk-free hands-on training, allowing learners to make mistakes and test boundaries.
- Teach with original instruments and highly realistic graphics to ease the transfer of skills from the simulator to the OR.
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Step-by-step instructions develop basic arthroscopy skills before guiding trainees through increasingly complex diagnostic and therapeutic cases.
Inspire Success
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Objectively assess trainees’ skills to set benchmarks and targets. Ensure trainees achieve predetermined levels of proficiency prior to entering the OR.
- Use our society-endorsed courses to help trainees reach benchmarks, or work with us to create world-class courses of your own.
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Debrief trainees with detailed feedback reports that quickly identify areas for improvement.
Save Time and Money
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Trainees with regular access to a simulator reach defined proficiency levels faster, meaning that they get into the OR sooner.
- Residents first trained on a simulator take less time to complete procedures once they are in the OR - and make fewer errors.
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Residents enter the OR having already mastered the basics and can focus on learning more complex skills.
Dr. Robert T. Burks, M.D., Dept. of orthopedic surgery, University of Utah, USA
The ability of the simulator to show a large number of different pathologies, to identify them and to document them distinguishes the VirtaMed ArthroS™ from training on conventional models, but also from training in the operating room or on cadavers where this high number of variability is not present. This is really what makes the VirtaMed ArthroS™ a unique training tool.
Fundamentals of Arthroscopy Surgery (FAST)
VirtaMed developed the FAST module in collaboration with the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) as part of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) mandate for surgical skills training.
The FAST module accelerates learning by providing competency-based ambidextrous training of arthroscopic skills such as image centering, horizon control, telescoping, triangulation, and using different optics. All the benefits of virtual reality simulation combined with the familiar Sawbones FAST dome.
VirtaMed ArthroS™ Knee
Trainees have access to multiple didactic videos and a collection of expertly-designed and society-endorsed courses. This includes courses developed jointly with the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and courses designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the operating room.
Basic exercises and guided diagnostic tours develop instrument skills and teach trainees to identify key landmarks within the right knee. Therapeutic cases then give trainees the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills on a variety of knee pathologies including meniscus lesions, arthrosis, synovial membrane inflammations, and loose bodies.
Concepts of ACL Reconstruction
Trainees gain experience through a variety of available cases, ranging from partial to complete ACL tears. Cases also include different complications encountered during routine ACL reconstructive procedures, better preparing trainees for the operating room.
VirtaMed ArthroS™ Shoulder
VirtaMed ArthroS™ Hip
Provide the full clinical experience with real surgical tools, replaceable hip inserts, hip flexation and femur rotation, joint traction, and the ability to palpitate bony landmarks. VirtaMed ArthroS™ Hip's new radiation-free fluoroscopy feature lets you teach correct access points without the additional costs of traditional fluoroscopic imaging or unnecessary exposure to radiation.
Once they have mastered the basics of hip arthroscopy, therapeutic cases give trainees the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills on a variety of hip pathologies including lesions in the labrum and cartilage, cam impingement, synovial inflammation, and loose bodies.
VirtaMed ArthroS™ Ankle
Given the inherent difficulty of ankle arthroscopy, simulation is a great risk-free training tool. The ArthroS™ Ankle module supports supine and posterior patient positioning and the opportunity to visualize the anterior and posterior aspects of the left ankle joint.Leverage basic exercises and guided diagnostic tours to develop trainees' instrument skills and teach trainees to identify key landmarks within the ankle. Therapeutic cases give trainees the opportunity to practice their newly acquired skills on a variety of ankle pathologies, including anterior impingement, cartilage defects, synovitis, and loose bodies.
Ergonomic platform
The VirtaMed ArthroS™ ergonomic platform is compatible with all VirtaMed orthopedic training modules: FAST, Knee, Shoulder, Hip and Ankle. Each module can be easily mounted on the platform, and switching from one to the other can be done within 30 seconds.
Trainees use original instruments and tools such as an original arthroscope, probe, grasper, cutting punch, and shaver. The instruments are equipped with sensors and allow for fluid handling, camera technique, and familiarize trainees with the concept of 0, 30, and 70-degree optics.
Original instruments and anatomically correct rubber models are combined to give a realistic tactile feel. Tracked with sub-millimeter precision, the instruments and models are perfectly aligned with arthroscopic virtual reality graphics.
Software designed specifically for surgeons
VirtaMed's software is designed to simplify arthroscopic skill acquisition.
- Inside and outside views of the articulation help trainees orient themselves as they learn joint navigation.
- Horizon control indicators and warning messages train proper instrument usage.
- Guidance arrows support trainees in learning important anatomical landmarks.
- Feedback reports with video and images allow you to immediately debrief with the trainee after each case. These reports also identify learning opportunities and track learning progress over time.
Support
We offer several different levels of service and support packages tailored specifically to the needs of hospitals and training centers. These can provide you with complete coverage (and peace of mind) when it comes to protecting your investment and getting the most out of your simulator. More about VirtaMed customer service and support
VirtaMed Connect™
Keep your focus on education with remote access; conveniently assign courses, manage curricula, and motivate students with online leader boards, all from the convenience of your office.
Use Connect to scale simulation to your needs. Because it is cloud-based, Connect can help you easily manage multi-simulator or multi-site training programs.
Go to the Connect FAQs Webpage
Training & Education
Our T&E team is here to help you get the most out of your simulator. In addition to introductory sessions, the T&E team offers in-depth training in a variety of areas and in multiple languages (English, German, French, Italian and Chinese). The T&E team can organize trainings that are as diverse as our customers, catering to groups of all sizes and interests. For example, they have helped customers develop courses for trainees preparing for the European board exam or the Swiss Orthopedic exam as well as courses for experienced professionals looking to train on the less-common joints such as the ankle. More about the VirtaMed Training & Education services
Validation of a virtual reality-based simulator for shoulder arthroscopy
Stefan Rahm, Marco Germann, Andreas Hingsammer, Karl Wieser, Christian Gerber
This study was to determine face and construct validity of a new virtual reality-based shoulder arthroscopy simulator which uses passive haptic feedback.Evaluation of a virtual-reality-based simulator using passive haptic feedback for knee arthroscopy
Sandro F. Fucentese, Stefan Rahm, Karl Wieser, Jonas Spillmann, Matthias Harders, Peter P. Koch
Simulator training in orthopaedics is still in its infancy. The aim of this study is to determine face and construct validity of a new virtual reality simulator (VirtaMed ArthroS™) for diagnostic and therapeutic knee arthroscopy by analysis of simulator metrics of participants with varying arthroscopy experience.