Performance Assessment of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair and Labral Repair in a Dry Shoulder Simulator

Purpose: To evaluate the use of dry models to assess performance of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) and labral repair (LR). Methods: Residents, fellows, and sports medicine staff performed an arthroscopic RCR and LR on a dry model. Any prior RCR and LR experience was noted. Staff surgeons assessed participants by use of task-specific checklists, the Arthroscopic Surgical Skill Evaluation Tool (ASSET), and a final overall global rating. All procedures were video recorded and were scored by a fellow blinded to the year of training of each participant. Results: A total of 51 participants and 46 participants performed arthroscopic RCR and LR, respectively, on dry models. The internal consistency or reliability (Cronbach alpha) using the total ASSET score for the RCR and LR was high (>0.9). One-way analysis of variance for the total ASSET score showed a difference between participants based on year of training (P < .001) for both procedures. The inter-rater reliability for the ASSET score was excellent (> 0.9) for both procedures. A good correlation was seen between the ASSET score and the year of training, as well as the previous number of sports rotations. Conclusions: The results of this study show evidence of construct validity when using dry models to assess performance of arthroscopic RCR and LR by residents.