Published online Nov 18, 2021. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v12.i11.891
Peer-review started: May 15, 2021
First decision: July 28, 2021
Revised: July 28, 2021
Accepted: September 19, 2021
Article in press: September 19, 2021
Published online: November 18, 2021
Processing time: 184 Days and 12.9 Hours
Upper extremity orthopaedic surgical tasks require repetitive and constant maneuvers, which can put them at increased risk of acquiring work-related musculoskeletal disorders during their years in practice.
As these injuries may place a psychological burden on the surgeon and affect the healthcare system, attention should be directed at studying their prevalence and associated factors.
To assess the prevalence, characteristics and impact of musculoskeletal disorders among upper extremity orthopaedic surgeons.
A modified version of the physical discomfort survey was sent to surgeons who were members of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and the Canadian shoulder and elbow society via e-mail. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and Fisher's exact test. P values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
A work-related musculoskeletal injury was reported by 89.4% of respondents, of which the most common diagnoses were low back pain and lateral elbow epicondylitis.
Musculoskeletal injuries were reported by a high proportion of our surveyed cohort of upper extremity surgeons, with more than a quarter of them requiring time off work.
Specific attention should be directed towards improving ergonomics and safety in the operative room to help decrease the high prevalence of these injuries in the future.