Benefits of Surgical Simulation based on Evidence

• Improved skill development: Surgical skill simulations provide deliberate training and can reduce the operating room time to the patient during hands-on training.[1] Residents who participated in surgical skills simulations earlier in their career had improved operative skills and an advantage over peers who did not.[2]
• Improved efficiency and performance: Owning your own kit allows you the opportunity to practice, have more repetition handling hardware, and refine your technique. Trainees who received simulation training had reduced time to perform tasks, and had better performance ratings than those who received no simulation training.[3]
• Enhanced patient care: Simulation-based training improves technical skills in trainees.[3] Better technical skill has a direct correlation with reduced complication rates and improved patient outcomes.[4]
• Accelerate your career: Handling sharp and unfamiliar instruments such as drills, screws, and clamps can be intimidating for students and junior residents. Owning your own set allows you to build experience in the privacy of your own home before even stepping foot into the OR. Repetitive practice builds muscle memory, allowing the trainee to perform procedures more easily and accurately. Mastering these fundamental skills earlier in your career gives you more opportunities to learn advanced techniques.[2]
• Convenient and cost-effective: Traditional courses need travel and time away from home. They can cost thousands of dollars in travel, lodging, and registration expenses. The FASA small fragment set is very compact, so that you can do a workshop anywhere. Pay once for hardware and workshop tools, and enjoy unlimited practice sessions.
• Applies to anyone: A trainee’s surgical skill does not correlate with academic knowledge; everyone could benefit from simulation training.[5]

References:

1. Thomas GW, Johns BD, Marsh JL, et al. A Review of the Role of Simulation in Developing and Assessing Orthopaedic Surgical Skills. Iowa Orthop J. 2014;34:181-189. PMID: 25328480. PMCID: PMC4127711. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4127711/
2. Egol KA, Phillips D, Vongbandith T, et al. Do orthopaedic fracture skills courses improve resident performance? Injury. 2015 Apr;46(4):547-551. PMID: 25476015. DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2014.10.061. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25476015/
3. Zendejas B, Brydges R, Hamstra SJ, et al. State of the evidence on simulation-based training for laparoscopic surgery: a systematic review. Ann Surg. 2013 Mar; 257(4): 586-93. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e318288c40b. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23407298/ 
4. Birkmeyer JD, Finks JF, O'Reilly A, et al. Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative. Surgical skill and complication rates after bariatric surgery. N Engl J Med. 2013 Oct 10;369(15):1434-42. PMID: 24106936. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1300625. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24106936/
5. Putnam MD, Kinnucan E, Adams JE, et al. On orthopedic surgical skill prediction--the limited value of traditional testing. Comparative Study. J Surg Educ. 2015 May-Jun;72(3):458-470. PMID: 25547465. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2014.11.001. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25547465/

Foot and Ankle AO Course At Home

Included items with course purchase

• 5 plasterbone models
• Instructional Guide Booklet
• FASA Small Fragment Set
  •  3.5 mm stainless steel fully threaded cortical screws (x21 at various sizes)
  •  Screwdriver
  •  1/3rd tubular stainless steel plate, 6-hole
  •  1/3rd tubular stainless steel plate, 10-hole
  •  Lobster claw reduction forceps
  •  Pointed reduction forceps
  •  2.5 mm drill bit
  •  3.5 mm drill bit
  •  Depth gauge
  •  Custom metal tray with screw caddy
    

Weight: 2.5 lbs
Dimensions: 11.5" x 6.25" x 2" (29.3cm x 16cm x 5cm)

Available for purchase only until July 31, 2023. We developed our custom practice set with a manufacturer in Pakistan who will ship directly to you. Manufacturing will start at the end of the purchase deadline, so please expect to wait at least 1 month for shipments to arrive.

Other Tools You'll Need 

These items are not included with the course. We strongly recommend you purchase these items to enjoy the full course experience.

Items for Extra Practice

If you intend to do extra practice such as bi-cortical drilling, target practice, and redirection practice (covered in modules 1-3), we recommend buying the drill bit below. If you completed the course and used up your 5 plasterbone models and need more, consider purchasing plaster and Coban to make your own.

Testimonials

These testimonials are from podiatrists who have worked with Dr. Chiu during residency, where the small fragment set and workshop was in development.

"As a former resident and current podiatric surgeon, I found the small frag set workshops very helpful throughout my residency. The easy access to reusable surgical equipment and bi-cortical feel of the plasterbones helped replicate a feel for surgical technique that classic saw bones were lacking. Repetition with the small frag set and being comfortable with AO technique made it much easier and made me more confident when in the OR. In my experience use of the small frag set on plasterbones is the closest simulation of applying hardware to bone in real life. In residency we replicated anything from a simple Weber B fibula fracture, 1st mtpj fusion, to comminuted calcaneal fractures. I would recommend this product to anyone interested in practicing AO technique, improving their surgical skills, and enhancing patient care." - Dr. Andrew Adler, DPM 

"Learning fracture reduction techniques takes time and repetitive practice. In my training I learned best by getting “hands on” with instruments that are used in surgery. I spent a lot of time creating different fracture patterns on models, then reducing and fixating them. This created confidence and better outcomes during the case." - Dr. Bryce Rich, DPM

"I had access to a similar set of tools and instruments to practice my hand skills, hold regular workshops, and familiarize myself with basic instrumentation and techniques that I encountered regularly in the operating room. I would highly recommend this instrument set to any new residents looking to improve their surgical abilities." - Dr. John Tran, DPM

"A large majority of both residents and students who I have worked with through the years are holding a drill for the first time in the operating room. This is where the small frag set comes into play. Despite having experience with mechanics and woodworking in the past, I had a great benefit with the small frag set on improving my surgical skills, which allowed me to be more interactive in surgical cases as both a student and resident. I recommend this set to anyone who takes their training seriously." - Dr. Paul Whitehouse, DPM