An armrest is effective for reducing hand tremble in neurosurgeons

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Surgical Technology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Microneurosurgery demands extreme precision, making hand tremor a significant challenge.
• Conventional methods to reduce tremor include the finger-placing technique, but its efficacy is not well-quantified.
• Armrests offer a potential alternative for tremor reduction, yet require rigorous evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess the efficacy of an armrest in reducing neurosurgeon hand tremor.
• To compare the tremor-reducing effects of an armrest versus the finger-placing technique.
• To evaluate the combined effect of an armrest and finger-placing technique.

Main Methods:

• Eleven board-certified neurosurgeons performed simulated microneurosurgery tasks.
• Hand tremor was measured using a 3D optical coordinate measuring machine tracking surgical forceps.
• Four conditions were tested: no aid, finger-placing technique only, armrest only, and both aids.

Main Results:

• Both the finger-placing technique and the armrest significantly reduced hand tremor (P<0.05).
• The tremor reduction achieved by the armrest was non-inferior to the finger-placing technique.
• Concurrent use of both aids did not diminish their individual tremor-reducing effects.

Conclusions:

• The finger-placing technique effectively reduces hand tremor in neurosurgeons.
• An armrest is a viable device for reducing neurosurgeon hand tremor, comparable to the finger-placing technique.
• Armrests provide a practical solution for tremor management in microneurosurgery.