ArticleSurgical endoscopy2022
Surgeons' physical workload in open surgery versus robot-assisted surgery and nonsurgical tasks.
Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Could work-related muscle activity explain sex differences in neck pain? A meta-analysis of a pooled dataset.Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health · 2025Pooled it
- The Use of Wearable Systems for Assessing Work-Related Risks Related to the Musculoskeletal System-A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- Intraoperative workload of the surgeon in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: a systematic review.Journal of robotic surgery · 2024Pooled it
- The benefits of haptic feedback in robot assisted surgery and their moderators: a meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2023Pooled it
- Ergonomics and performance of using prismatic loupes in simulated surgical tasks among surgeons - a randomized controlled, cross-over trial.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Prevalence of Work-Related Pain or Discomfort Among Urologists in the State of Florida: Results From the Florida Urologic Society Task Force on Ergonomic Challenges Experienced by Its Members.JMIR human factors · 2026Article
- Examination of occupational and physical therapists' exposure to physical risk factors in outpatient rehabilitation settings using the workplace ergonomics risk assessment and pain scale.Work (Reading, Mass.) · 2026Observational
- Operating Table Height Optimization Reduces Surgeon Postural Load During Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Ergonomic Simulation Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Critical analysis on the assessment of ergonomics in robotic surgery: A scoping review.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Article
- Understanding surgeon adoption of artificial intelligence surgical technology: integrating UTAUT-TOE model.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Article
- Chronic sleep restriction induces oculomotor impairment with inadequate compensation.Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society · 2026Article
- Is asymmetric upper trapezius muscle activation during work associated with neck pain? A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis.PloS one · 2026Article
- Identifying the Surgical to Nonsurgical Care Transition for Trauma Patients: Time to Redesign Trauma Workflow.The American surgeon · 2026Article
- Reliability and Accuracy of Standard Reference Procedures for Measurements of Trunk and Arm Postures in Ergonomics.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The role of ergonomics training and posture exercises in surgeons' musculoskeletal system disorders.Turkish journal of surgery · 2024Article
- Frequency of breaks, amount of muscular rest, and sustained muscle activity related to neck pain in a pooled dataset.PloS one · 2024Article
- Wearable Motion Capture Devices for the Prevention of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Ergonomics-An Overview of Current Applications, Challenges, and Future Opportunities.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- A New Approach to Quantifying Muscular Fatigue Using Wearable EMG Sensors during Surgery: An Ergonomic Case Study.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Mental workload during endoscopic sinus surgery is associated with surgeons' skill levels.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among surgeons, and its prevalence varies among surgical modalities. There are conflicting results concerning the correlation between adverse work exposures and MSD prevalence in different surgical modalities. The progress of rationalization in health care may lead to job intensification for surgeons, but the literature is scarce regarding to what extent such intensification influences the physical workload in surgery. The objectives of this study were to quantify the physical workload in open surgery and compare it to that in (1) nonsurgical tasks and (2) two surgeon roles in robot-assisted surgery (RAS).
methodsThe physical workload of 22 surgeons (12 performing open surgery and 10 RAS) was measured during surgical workdays, which includes trapezius muscle activity from electromyography, and posture and movement of the head, upper arms and trunk from inertial measurement units. The physical workload of surgeons in open surgery was compared to that in nonsurgical tasks, and to the chief and assistant surgeons in RAS, and to the corresponding proposed action levels. Mixed-effects models were used to analyze the differences.
resultsOpen surgery constituted more than half of a surgical workday. It was associated with more awkward postures of the head and trunk than nonsurgical tasks. It was also associated with higher trapezius muscle activity levels, less muscle rest time and a higher proportion of sustained low muscle activity than nonsurgical tasks and the two roles in RAS. The head inclination and trapezius activity in open surgery exceeded the proposed action levels.
conclusionsThe physical workload of surgeons in open surgery, which exceeded the proposed action levels, was higher than that in RAS and that in nonsurgical tasks. Demands of increased operation time may result in higher physical workload for open surgeons, which poses an increased risk of MSDs. Risk-reducing measures are, therefore, needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.