Force sensing-based simulator for arthroscopic skills assessment in orthopaedic knee surgery.

The complexity of knee arthroscopy makes it difficult to teach and assess skill level during real surgery. Simulator-based training is ideal for this complex procedure. To address the limitations of existing systems, a physical simulator, capable of providing skills assessment and feedback has been developed. The simulator measures the forces applied on the femur and acting on the tools. An experimental evaluation was conducted to assess the differences in task completion time and applied forces for fourteen tasks performed by trainees and expert surgeons. Initial results show that the simulator, together with well-chosen tasks, can potentially be used to assess user performance.