An Interprofessional Approach to Assessing Musculoskeletal Pain and Ergonomics in Surgery Residents

Work-related musculoskeletal injuries are common in general surgeons, causing chronic pain and lost work. However, formal ergonomic curriculums in residency programs are rare. We aimed to assess the feasibility of an interprofessional educational approach to ergonomics in general surgery residents, in collaboration with occupational therapy (OT) students.

General surgery residents completed a survey regarding musculoskeletal pain and ergonomics. OT students captured photos of trainees performing open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery over a 4-wk period. Rapid entire body assessment (REBA) and the rapid upper limb assessment were used to assess ergonomic efficiency and postural risk. Higher scores represent unfavorable posture and correlate with the need for ergonomic change.

There were 37/44 (84%) responses. Everyone reported some degree of pain related to surgery, most commonly neck pain (75%), shoulder (61%), and foot pain (53%). Most residents (66%) felt the pressure to perform surgery regardless of the pain. Ergonomic breaks directed by faculty were reported by less than 11% of residents. A total of 11 intraoperative observations were made by OT students of surgical trainees, with a mean rapid upper limb assessment score of 6.1 and a mean rapid entire body assessment score of 7.3. These scores demonstrated suboptimal posture with recommendations for prompt change.

This study conveys a successful interprofessional educational approach to assessing surgical ergonomics in general surgery residents. Musculoskeletal symptoms and intraoperative ergonomic dysfunctions are prevalent among general surgery residents, without workplace measures for management or prevention. This needs assessment will be used to create an ergonomics initiative for the surgery residency.