A 3D-Printed Ultrasound Task Trainer for the Practice of Hip Joint Injections

Abstract

Ultrasonography is often the preferred method of imaging for needle-guided procedures of the hip joint, including aspirations, local anaesthetic injections, and the use of corticosteroids. Phantoms (i.e., training devices mimicking human tissue and bony structures under acoustic sonography) are used to help train medical professionals to perform these procedures accurately, emphasising the art of physical simulation in unison with didactic learning. In the authors’ study, 3D printing technology was used to simulate an anatomically accurate human hip joint, with the hopes of creating an affordable and customisable ultrasound hip trainer, allowing novice sonographers to practice guided injections to hone their skills before performing these procedures on human subjects.