Use of Wearable Inertial Sensors to Assess Trunk and Cervical Postures Among Surgeons: Effect of Surgical Specialties and Roles

This study aimed to quantitatively assess trunk and cervical non-neutral postures assumed by surgeons during the performance of routine open procedures. Indeed, musculoskeletal disorders are frequently reported by surgeons, especially at the head and neck level, due to the prolonged time spent in ergonomically challenging postures. Therefore, the posture of fourteen surgeons was monitored using wearable inertial sensors (and processed according to the ISO 11226 standard) by considering the effect of different surgical specialties (thyroid vs. breast) and roles (primary vs. assistants). Overall, surgeons spent most of their time in a standing posture, remaining within the acceptable limits of trunk flexion. More concerning results were observed analyzing the time spent in static head flexion and lateral bending (~72% and 48% of the time, respectively). Assistants, compared with primary surgeons, spent more than twice as much time in extreme neck flexion, although this was only when performing thyroid surgeries. The opposite was observed during breast surgeries. By spending most of their time in a standing posture with extreme forward neck flexion, surgeons are exposed to a high ergonomic risk, especially when frequently performing thyroid surgeries. The assumed role appeared to influence postural loading, with an effect that varies according to the surgical specialty.