Surgical simulation: an emerging technology for military medical training

The current methods of training medical personnel to provide combat casualty care have several important shortcomings. One of these shortcomings is in limb trauma management, where live animals are used to gain experience treating war wounds. We propose an alternative approach by creating a three-dimensional computer model of the human body that can be used within a virtual environment to learn trauma management techniques. As a first step, we have developed a computer model that represents the anatomy and physiology of a normal and injured lower limb. When visualized and manipulated in a virtual environment, this computer model will reduce the need for animals in the training of trauma management and potentially provide a superior training experience.