ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY TRAINING SIMULATION

Abstract

Surgical training is one of the most promising areas in medicine where 3-D computer graphics and virtual reality techniques are emerging. Orthopedic surgery is a discipline requiring appreciation and understanding of complex 3-dimensional bony structures and their relationships to nerves, blood vessels and other vital structures. Learning these spatial skills requires a lengthy period and much practice. In this paper, we present a software simulator which was developed to aid in the understanding of the complex 3-dimensional relationships between bones and implants. The developed software cuts down the learning curve and allows for better and more precise surgery by letting the surgeon practice the surgery in a virtual environment before undertaking the actual procedure.