Introduction The public health response to the coronavirus pandemic-imposed limitations upon orthopaedic surgeon’s scheduled care practice, with a consequential diminution of training time for residents. A potentially viable option for maintenance of operative competency is the use of virtual reality (VR) simulation. This review looks at the effectiveness of (VR) as a pedagogical method of learning for orthopaedic trainees. Question Can VR be a viable method of learning and skill retention for orthopaedic trainees during periods of diminished operative time? Method A systematic search using Google Scholar, EMBASE and PubMed was conducted in July 2020. Results Following the PRIMSA guidelines; initial search revealed 779 studies. 35 full text articles were analysed by two reviewers with a final total of 30 articles used in this review. A thematic analysis revealed three broad categories: quality and validity of VR teaching simulations studies (n = 8); learning curves and subject performance (n = 14) and VR simulators utility in orthopaedics reviews (n = 8). Conclusions We demonstrated that VR has the capacity to help trainees maintain their technical skills, enhance their precision, and retain rudimentary competency during this pandemic. Additional improvements are necessary to ensure its safety as a training tool.

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Introduction: The aim is to describe a preliminary pilot incorporating 3D virtual reality (VR) into a cardiovascular problem-based learning (PBL) lesson. Methods: A paramedic cohort of students (n=19) took part in a 12-lesson anatomy and physiology module. Multiple choice question results from the cardiovascular PBL lesson were compared with the multiple choice question results from other organ system PBL lessons. In addition, a questionnaire was answered by 15 students assessing acceptability of the lesson. Results: The authors found that when students used VR materials, they achieved significantly better results compared with the non-VR lessons. Over 80% of students thought that VR-based PBL exercises brought the cardiovascular anatomy to life and was a useful learning tool. Conclusion: The use of VR in a PBL learning environment has a significant positive effect on the performance of the students and is valued by students as useful. It may therefore be beneficial to integrate VR-based learning into emergency medicine training.