The Role of Virtual Reality in Training Orthopaedic Surgery Residents.

JBJS Rev · Dec 01 2024 · Review

Boland T, Alexandrou D, Yirga E, Rumps MV, Saraf SM, Mulcahey MK

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois

General Orthopaedics

SUMMARY — THE REDUCTIONThis review finds virtual reality training improves surgical performance in orthopaedic residents, mainly junior trainees, though more research is needed to show superiority over traditional methods.
Abstract, as published

» Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used across surgical specialties in training, offering a safe, immersive environment for skill development.» Studies show that VR significantly improves surgical performance making it an effective training tool for orthopaedic residents; however, effects may be more pronounced in junior trainees and may not be seen in senior trainees or attendings.» As VR technology evolves, it promises broader applications in surgical training, though further research is needed to establish its superiority over traditional methods.

Featured in the 2026-10-09 issue.

← Artificial Intelligence in Modern Orthopaedics: Current and F…

The Reduction is a free email digest of newly published orthopaedic literature — a handful of new papers in the subspecialties you choose, each summarized like this one. Subscribe free or browse the archive.