Acquisition of spine injection skills using a beef injection simulator.

BACKGROUND Students of interventional spine procedures typically learn needle injection technique using cadaver specimens or live patients in an operating room. This can be expensive, inefficient, uncomfortable to patients, and requires a significant time commitment from teaching staff. PURPOSE To present a simple and inexpensive simulator using a cut of beef as an injection model that can be used to teach certain components of interventional spine injection needle technique in a more efficient and cost effective fashion. BASIC PROCEDURES A needle injection practice model using beef muscle attached to a plastic base was constructed. Students of interventional spine pain were instructed in C-arm x-ray operation and basic needle handling technique, then performed a series of mock injection procedures using this simulator. Procedure time, fluoroscopy time, and accuracy were measured. MAIN FINDINGS Speed, accuracy of needle placement, and fluoroscopy time of the subjects improved with the number of practice sessions completed. The subjects felt better prepared to perform live patient procedures as a result of this training. CONCLUSIONS Use of an inexpensive beef injection model is a valid, reliable, and feasible adjunct to teaching C-arm x-ray operation and spine injection needle technique to beginning students of intervention spine pain management.