Usefulness of a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course in an Orthopedic Surgery Residency Training Program
Usefulness of a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course in an Orthopedic Surgery Residency Training Program
A group of orthopedic surgery residents underwent a structured online and practical musculoskeletal ultrasound course. Their proficiency on a written and practical exam, as well as frequency and comfort when using was recorded prior to the course, immediately after, and 6 months after the course.
Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) can have many uses for orthopedic surgeons, such as assisting in clinical diagnosis for muscle, tendon and ligament injuries, providing direct guidance for joint injections, or assessing the adequacy of a reduction in the emergency department. However, proficiency in sonography is not a requirement for certification in orthopedic surgery in Canada, and orthopedic trainees are rarely exposed to the subject. This project aims assess the usefulness in clinical education of a newly implemented MSK-US course in an orthopedic surgery program.
An MSK-US course for orthopedic surgery residents has been developed. An online survey covering the level of training of the resident, their prior experience with ultrasound (number of times used by month) and their comfort level with different parts of the examination (numeric analog scale - NAS), was filled by the participants prior to the course. A pre-course written and practical test was also given to the residents. Following the course, the participants were reassessed with the same tests and surveys on the same day as the course, and at 6 months post. Change in frequency of use, comfort level and test scores were assessed using a Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and post-hoc Wilcoxon tests.
It was expected that residents' frequency of use, comfort level and tests scores would improve following the implementation of the course. The results were expected to be maintained at the 6 months endpoint.
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