Voices in Orthopaedics™…The Residency Programs: From The University at Buffalo- Evaluating the Role of the Learning Curve in Orthopaedic Residency Education: A Review

Orthopedic surgical educational strategies have rapidly advanced, driven by increasing technical complexity in the breadth of procedures within the specialty, the introduction of novel educational supplementation including simulation-based training, and the introduction of structured feedback mechanisms to encourage competency-based training. The learning curve for various common orthopedic procedures have been previously evaluated and described; however, these changes to orthopedic education need to be considered with regards to their effect on learning curve. Increased standardization of educational curricula, including case minimums and definitions of the levels of supervision at various training levels, must be additionally considered with respect to the learning curve for procedures for which orthopedic residents must become competent during training. This review underscores the need for tailored training paradigms emphasizing high-volume exposure for complex procedures and structured simulation for skill-based learning. Standardized definitions of supervision should be included in updated assessments of the learning curve to better inform orthopedic educational initiatives.