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Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
Published on: June 16, 2021
Measurement of tremor transmission during microsurgery
David I Verrelli1, Yi Qian1, James Wood1
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia.
Background:
Tremor is a major impediment to performing fine motor tasks, as in microsurgery. However, conventional measurements do not involve tasks representative of microsurgery.
Method:
We developed a low-cost surgical simulator incorporating a force transducer capable of detecting and quantifying the effects of tremor upon high-fidelity silicone replicas of cardiac vessels and substrate muscle. Experienced and trainee surgeons performed simulated anastomoses on this rig. We characterized procedures in terms of tremor intensity, based on Lomb-Scargle periodograms.
Results:
Distinctive force oscillations occurred at 8-12 Hz, characteristic of enhanced physiological tremor, yielding peaks in power spectral density. These early results suggest a significantly lower transmission of tremor to the operative field by the experienced surgeon in comparison to the trainees.
Conclusions:
This new device quantifies the action of tremor upon a manipulandum during a complex task, which may be used for assessment and providing feedback to trainee surgeons. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
