Variables associated with the prevalence of self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders in veterinary laparoscopic surgeons.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical attributes and difficulty performing laparoscopic maneuvers with the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal injury.

Study design: Online survey.

Sample population: Surgeons (n = 140) with 3 or more years of laparoscopic experience.

Methods: Electronic survey distributed via LISTSERVEs and Facebook groups. Responses collected included surgeon attributes, presence of musculoskeletal injuries, and surgical practice data. Statistical analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, linear regression, logistic regression, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests.

Results: A total of 52 of the 140 respondents reported a musculoskeletal injury with 38 specifying at least one injury (72%). Neck strain was the most prevalent reported musculoskeletal injury (18/52, 34.6%), followed by shoulder tendinopathies (16/52, 30.8%), arm/hand tendonitis (8/52, 15.4%), carpal tunnel (7/52, 13.5%), back pain (4/52, 7.7%) and arm/hand arthritis (1/52, 1.9%). Women were significantly more likely to report a musculoskeletal problem than men (p = .011) with the odds of women reporting a musculoskeletal injury 2.59 times greater than men. Women and surgeons with smaller glove sizes were significantly more likely to report shoulder tendonitis (p = .034, p = .1) and neck strain (p = .009, p = .001). Respondents with a musculoskeletal problem experienced significantly more difficulty using rotating cup biopsy forceps (p < .001) and perceived this as difficult a greater amount of time (p = .006).

Conclusion: Female surgeons report more musculoskeletal injuries than their male counterparts. Surgeons with musculoskeletal injuries experience more difficulty performing particular laparoscopic maneuvers.

Clinical significance: Improving ergonomics for women and surgeons with smaller glove sizes must be prioritized to improve surgeon health and laparoscopic instrument use.