Fractures of the femur occur in approximately 1 per 10,000 of the general population 3 per 10,000 in individuals aged less than 25 and over 65 years (Ertl, 2002). Studies have shown that fractures of long bones, especially hip and femur, account for the highest percentage of all injuries (Champion et al, 2003). Femur fractures result in significant time lost from work/school and disabling physical damage. Immersion Medical is submitting a proposal to design and implement a femur fracture simulator that will assist health care professionals in assessing, diagnosing, designating treatment, and receiving feedback on their decisions when treating such fractures. The phase I activities will include: developing a procedure description, task analysis, functionality matrix, and initial proof of concepts. In addition, we will develop a Likert questionnaire to obtain feedback from subject matter experts, which will rate the benefits and marketability of the simulator as a training tool. Immersion Medical will utilize a general-purpose deep tissue palpation device that will allow users to feel for the pulses and assess for items such as crepitus. Modeled images will be augmented to enable users to visually assess and diagnose femoral fractures and implement appropriate treatment options
