Arthroscopic and endoscopic skills: a method of assessment.

An aptitude test has been designed to assess the psychomotor ability of surgeons under the special conditions and difficulties of endoscopic surgery. Results show increased errors and inferior tracking skill when images are rotated or reflected under test conditions simulating endoscopy. This indicates that more than simple hand-eye co-ordination is required to perform good endoscopic surgery. Interestingly, a proportion of trainee surgeons found adaptation to these altered conditions difficult to master. This aptitude test might usefully identify junior surgeons who would benefit from extra tuition at instructional endoscopic courses. The implications for the selection and training of surgeons are discussed.