An Open-Source 3D Printed Simulator for Lumbar Durotomy Repair: A Single Neurosurgery Residency Program's Experience

IntroductionSurgical simulation is an appealing adjunct for educating trainees on a variety of spine surgery techniques, especially non-routine skills like lumbar durotomy repair. However, high costs and significant lead time required to obtain surgical simulators restrict their routine use in most training programs. The goal of the present study was to develop and evaluate a low-cost and open-source 3D printed lumbar durotomy repair simulator for resident education. MethodsThe design of a pre-existing open-source 3D printed spine simulator was modified for a durotomy repair simulation. The simulator was then printed using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) filament on a Bambu Lab P1S printer. Current neurosurgical residents from a single institution were recruited to participate in a one hour lab session in which they were tasked with repairing a standardized 1.5 centimeter durotomy. Subjects were surveyed before and after their simulation experience. ResultsSeven simulators were produced taking on average 12.2 hours to print and cost approximately $9.51 each once fully assembled. Of the 14 subjects recruited, only 7 (50%) reported prior experience with lumbar durotomy repair. All subjects were able to successfully complete the simulated task. Exit survey results demonstrated that all subjects (100%) agreed the simulation was useful and expressed interest in participating in future simulation experiences. ConclusionsOur study demonstrated a 3D printed simulator for lumbar durotomy repair could be produced at low cost and was highly valued by neurosurgical trainees. Given our simulators low cost and open-source format, we believe it is highly accessible to most, if not all, residency programs, and has the potential to help expedite mastery of lumbar durotomy repair.