Treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) has traditionally
focused on joint replacement for end-stage disease. An increasing number
of surgical and pharmaceutical strategies for disease prevention
have now been proposed. However, these require the ability to identify
OA at a stage when it is potentially reversible, and detect small
changes in cartilage structure and function to enable treatment
efficacy to be evaluated within an acceptable timeframe. This has
not been possible using conventional imaging techniques but recent
advances in musculoskeletal imaging have been significant. In this
review we discuss the role of different imaging modalities in the
diagnosis of the earliest changes of OA. The increasing number of
MRI sequences that are able to non-invasively detect biochemical
changes in cartilage that precede structural damage may offer a
great advance in the diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating
condition. Cite this article:
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of laboratory-based simulator training on the ability of surgical trainees to perform diagnostic arthroscopy of the knee. A total of 20 junior orthopaedic trainees were randomised to receive either a fixed protocol of arthroscopic simulator training on a bench-top knee simulator or no additional training. Motion analysis was used to assess performance objectively. Each trainee then received traditional instruction and demonstrations of diagnostic arthroscopy of the knee in theatre before performing the procedure under the supervision of a blinded consultant trainer. Their performance was assessed using a procedure-based assessment from the Orthopaedic Competence Assessment Project and a five-point global rating assessment scale. In theatre the simulator-trained group performed significantly better than the untrained group using the Orthopaedic Competence Assessment Project score (p = 0.0007) and assessment by the global rating scale (p = 0.0011), demonstrating the transfer of psychomotor skills from simulator training to arthroscopy in the operating theatre. This has implications for the planning of future training curricula.
