AN ENHANCED MICROSOFT HOLOLENS® AUGMENTED REALITY PLATFORM FOR TRAINING IN ACETABULAR CUP IMPLANT ORIENTATION: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background Complications such as dislocations, impingement and early wear following total hip arthroplasty (THA) increase with acetabular cup implant malorientation. These errors are more common with low-volume centres or in novice hands. Currently, this skill is most commonly taught during real surgery with an expert trainer, but simulated training may offer a safer and more accessible solution. This study investigated if a novel MicronTracker® enhanced Microsoft HoloLens® augmented reality (EAR) headset was as effective as one-on-one expert surgeon (ES) training for teaching novice surgeons hip cup orientation skill. Methods Twenty-four medical students were randomly assigned to EAR or ES training groups. Participants used a modified sawbone/foam pelvis model for hip cup orientation simulation. A validated EAR headset measured the orientation of acetabular cup implants and displayed this in the participant”s field of view. The system calculated the difference between planned and achieved orientation as ...