Sticks and stones may break my bones: work-related orthopaedic injuries sustained during obstetrics and gynaecology...

Backache is a common cause of morbidity among doctors and 50% of the obstetricians and gynaecologists suffering from this attribute it to work practice and posture. Occupational injuries remain poorly studied among obstetricians and gynaecologists and we have therefore tried to assess the extent and demographics of work-related injuries sustained during training by sending an eight-item questionnaire to 418 Registrar grade trainees in the London area. A low 23.2% response rate (97/418) was obtained, despite second questionnaires being sent to initial non-responders. Out of the 97 responders, 28 (28.7%) had suffered injuries at work at least once throughout their career. There was female preponderance in those reporting injuries, with a female to male ratio of 3:1. Of the 28 positive responders, 11 were UK graduates, 7 EU and the remaining 10 from Colombia, West Indies, India and Sudan. The mean age was 32.5 +/- 4.2 years, with 21 of the 28 (75%) being senior trainees (post-MRCOG). The injuries reported were: forearm (4); wrist (7); thumb (3); hands (1) shoulder and neck (9), ankle (1) and lower back (6). Of these, 18 sought medical help and received treatment for these injuries, which included long-term physiotherapy, although no-one required surgery. Eight were forced to take time off work, with a cumulative total of 80 days; one had to prolong her training by 3 months. Seven trainees sustained their injuries (e.g. ligamentous strain of wrist and scaphoid fracture) while performing caesarean sections, while forceps deliveries were the cause of six occupational injuries (e.g. ligamentous strain of sacroiliac joint). Work-related injuries can have adverse effects on training and workforce. Awareness of correct surgical techniques and adoption of ergonomic posture when performing procedures may help to minimise the risk of a work-related injury.