The burden of knee pain in the operating room: are surgical personnel at greater risk?

Background/aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of knee pain among healthcare workers in surgical units and to explore whether the use of knee panels during surgical hand scrubbing is associated with persistent knee pain. Materials and methods: This single-center cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2023 and March 2025. A total of 400 physicians and nurses working in surgical and nonsurgical departments were included. Participants completed a structured and modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, as well as knee pain assessment tools, including a visual analog scale (VAS) and the Kujala score for anterior knee pain-related symptoms. Occupational exposure among surgical staff was additionally evaluated. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: The prevalence of knee pain was 54.8% among surgical personnel and 39.5% among nonsurgical personnel. VAS scores were significantly higher in the surgical group, while there was no significant difference between groups in terms of Kujala scores. Knee panel use was common and more than half of the users reported discomfort during use; however, there was no statistically significant association between panel use and persistent knee pain. Regression analysis identified increasing age, longer duration of surgical experience, and employment in a surgical unit as factors independently associated with knee pain. Conclusion: Employment in a surgical unit is associated with a higher prevalence of knee pain among healthcare workers. However, the use of knee panels during surgical hand scrubbing does not appear to be associated with persistent knee pain. Multicomponent ergonomic interventions should be implemented to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.