Comparing Mental Strain and Subjective Sensations With and Without a Wearable Chair While Performing Simulated...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Ergonomics
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Prolonged standing in surgery leads to musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons.
• Wearable chairs are used in industry to reduce musculoskeletal strain.
• Potential discomfort and instability with wearable chairs require investigation for surgical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a wearable chair (Archelis®) on surgeons' mental and physical strain during simulated surgical tasks.
• To assess subjective sensations like fatigue, comfort, balance, and workability.
• To identify potential barriers to integrating wearable chairs into surgical environments.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cross-over study design.
• Six surgeons participated in simulated suturing tasks, with and without the Archelis® wearable chair.
• Mental strain assessed via heart rate variability; subjective sensations and localized pain evaluated using visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaires.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in mental strain or subjective sensations were observed between conditions.
• Surgeons reported relatively positive subjective sensations when using the wearable chair.
• A slight, non-significant increase in lower leg pain was noted post-task with the chair.

Conclusions:

• The Archelis® wearable chair did not impose significant negative effects on surgeons during simulated suturing.
• No major barriers were identified for the initial integration of wearable chairs into surgical settings.
• Further research may explore long-term effects and diverse surgical tasks.