BACKGROUND Deficits in ankle muscle strength and ankle stiffness may be present in those subjects who underwent surgical treatment for an Achilles tendon rupture. The presence of these long-term deficits may contribute to a lower performance during daily activities and may be linked to future injuries. OBJECTIVE To compare the ankle passive stiffness and the plantar flexor muscle performance ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate consistency of performance of robot-assisted surgical tasks in a virtual reality environment. Eight subjects performed two surgical tasks, bimanual carrying and needle passing, with both the da Vinci surgical robot and a virtual reality equivalent environment. Nonlinear analysis was utilized to evaluate consistency of performance by calculating the r...

As demands on surgical training efficiency increase, there is a stronger need for computer assisted surgical training systems. The ability to provide automated performance feedback and assessment is a critical aspect of such systems. The development of feedback and assessment models will allow the use of surgical simulators as self-guided training systems that act like expert trainers and guide...

The use of simulation technology for teaching and evaluating surgical skills has gained considerable attention in recent years. This is driven by interest in quality of care, concerns over increasing operative complexity, constraints on the use of animal models, limited available patient material, medicolegal pressures, and fiscal mandates for cost-effective performance. Traditional mechanical ...

BACKGROUND The present study was undertaken to determine if psychomotor and visual-spatial abilities improve as a result of surgical training or are enhanced at baseline in those individuals choosing a surgical career. METHODS Medical students entering a surgical field and practicing surgeons performed a series of neuropsychologic tests. Performance was compared between surgeon groups, as wel...

background: the effect of ovariectomy and accompanying sudden loss of circulating gonad hormones on spatial learning performance in the young adult rats was examined. we hypothesized that spatial learning and memory in a considerable number of women who undergo a surgical menopause and estrogen deprivation before their natural menopause be impaired. methods: in this study, we used 26 wistar rat...

conclusions most cases of splenectomy in our center caused by trauma, and among the different types of trauma, blunt trauma is the dominant cause. road traffic accidents, in particular motor vehicle accidents, especially motorbike injures, are the most frequent cause of splenectomy. due to the instability of trauma patients, a mortality rate of 8% seems to be reasonable for splenectomy. rnwe re...

introduction: reconstruction of intraoral soft tissue defects is important in restoring function and esthetic. in large defects, there will be demand for regional pedicle flaps or free flaps. hard palate separates nasal and oral cavities. due to the small surface area between flap and remaining palate after surgical resections, optimal blood supply of the flaps for hard palate reconstructions a...