Occupational Diseases and Safety among Orthopedic Surgeons in Türkiye

Occupational diseases are often underestimated and overlooked among orthopedic surgeons. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of occupational injuries and their impact on orthopedic surgeons in Türkiye.

A modified version of the physical discomfort Web-based anonymous survey and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) were sent via email to all members of the Turkish Association of Orthopedics and Traumatology (TOTBID) mailing list. The data were collected and analyzed.

A total of 217 orthopedic surgeons completed the survey. The most common musculoskeletal disorders were low back pain (73%), wrist tendinitis (36%), lateral epicondylitis (29%) and shoulder pain (28%). Additionally, 98% of surgeons had experienced needle stick or sharp instrument injuries at least once, and fewer than one-third of them received special treatment from their institutions. The behavior of not using any protective equipment was found to be associated with the surgeon's age (p=0.03).

This study highlights the high prevalence of occupational health injuries among orthopedic surgeons in Türkiye. The findings of this study may raise awareness among orthopedic surgeons about occupational health injuries and encourage the implementation of prevention strategies, early recognition of these injuries, and timely, definitive interventions.