JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Currently, virtual reality (VR) simulators are of increasing interest for surgical training, but there is no systematic review exploring the advantages and disadvantages of VR in orthopedic education.

Objective:

Objective:

This paper aims to explore the relationship between virtual reality education and traditional education.

Methods:

Methods:

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Scopus, Chongqing VIP Database (VIP), Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan Fang Database up to July 2024 for relevant studies. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, assessed the risk of bias of included studies, and then used RevMan 5.3 software for meta-analysis.

Results:

Results:

A systematic review and meta-analysis comprising 23 randomized controlled trials involving 1091 patients demonstrated that VR teaching significantly outperformed traditional education methodologies across various domains. Compared to traditional teaching, VR interventions resulted in significantly higher knowledge scores (SMD=1.08, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.46, P<0.00001). Moreover, VR-based education yielded superior clinical operation scores (SMD=1.44, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.81, P<0.00001) and surgical design scores (SMD=1.75, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.44, P<0.00001). Additionally, VR teaching enhanced clinical understanding (SMD=1.05, 95% CI: 0.62 to 1.48, P<0.00001) and clinical thinking ability (SMD=1.17, 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.68, P<0.00001) compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, VR teaching was associated with higher levels of teaching interest (OR=4.17, 95% CI: 2.16 to 8.04, P<0.0001) and teaching satisfaction (OR=4.13, 95% CI: 1.96 to 8.69, P=0.0002) than traditional approaches. Lastly, VR significantly enhanced the initiation of learning among students when compared with traditional teaching methods (SMD=1.15, 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.39, P<0.00001).

Conclusions:

Conclusion: This meta-analysis emphasizes VR as an excellent orthopedic educational tool. It significantly enhances both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while also markedly increasing student engagement and satisfaction. Therefore, adopting VR technology in medical education holds promise for improving orthopedic surgical competence and effectively preparing future orthopedic surgeons. However, these findings require further validation through multicenter, double-blind, and large-sample randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Clinical Trial: NA