To evaluate the usability of virtual handles for dental implant manipulation in a virtual reality (VR) environment, specifically comparing user experience and performance metrics with traditional methods.
Key Findings:
Virtual handles enable more careful manipulation of implants but may increase task completion time due to the complexity of movements involved.
Direct interaction with implants is intuitive but less accurate because of hand instability, leading to potential errors.
Using virtual handles restricts degrees of freedom (DoFs), which may reduce errors during fine-tuning but can also slow down the overall process.
Interpretation:
The use of virtual handles in VR can enhance the precision of dental implant placement, although it may require more time due to the complexity of movements involved in fine-tuning.
Limitations:
The study was small-scale, involving a limited number of participants, which may not represent broader user experiences in diverse clinical settings.
There is a potential for arm fatigue when using handheld controllers, which could affect user performance over extended periods.
Conclusion:
Virtual handles in VR environments can improve the accuracy of dental implant manipulation, highlighting a trade-off between precision and time efficiency that should be considered in future research and practical applications.
by Hanna-Riikka Rantamaa, Jari Kangas, Maarit Jordan, Helena Mehtonen, John Mäkelä, Kimmo Ronkainen, Markku Turunen, Osku Sundqvist, Ismo Syrjä, Jorma Järnstedt, Roope Raisamo
