Ergonomic surgical practice analysed through sEMG monitoring of muscular activity

Abstract

The success of any surgical intervention is narrowly linked to the operating comfort of the surgeon. Nicknamed "chicken wings", the typical posture adopted by a practitioner during a laparoscopic intervention leads to cervical, shoulders and back pains. To avoid such a posture is one of the main challenge of medical devices designers. Instruments length, lack of articulations as well as non-adapted tables heights have to be reconsidered to surgeon's benefit. Moreover, the smoothness of the gesture is of great deal for the surgeon. It allows a more accurate gesture by reducing the disjointed contractions of the muscles. It has been observed that the recourse to an articulated instrument, the Dex™, leads to shoulder's adduction. The influence of its articulations, especially handle's one, on the surgeon's comfort, has to be quantified. This influence is confronted to several working conditions representative of operating room situations. An optimal surgical environment is proposed through the analysis of electromyography on shoulder's muscles and of elbow's acceleration.