Occupational hazards in hip and knee adult reconstruction surgery : a systematic review of physical and psychological stressors.
Arthroplasty surgeons have nearly triple the hearing loss rate of non-surgical clinicians.
Occupational hazards in hip and knee adult reconstruction surgery : a systematic review of physical and psychological stressors.
Adult reconstruction surgeons face unique occupational challenges during joint arthroplasty procedures, including sustained physical demands, ergonomic strain, noise exposure, and psychological pressure from high patient expectations.
This systematic review aimed to synthesize existing evidence regarding physical and psychological stressors encountered by surgeons performing hip and knee arthroplasty.
Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library through to December 2024.
hearing loss is nearly three times more common in arthroplasty surgeons
Work-related injury prevalence ranged from 66% to 96.5%, predominantly affecting spine (28% to 34.2%), shoulders, and upper limbs.
Risk factors included age > 55 years, high surgical volume (> 100 procedures annually), and > 20 years' practice.
CO 2 accumulation in helmet systems exceeded safety limits in 10/11 configurations tested.
Total hip arthroplasty demonstrated higher physiological demands than total knee arthroplasty (heart rate: 95.7 vs 90.2 bpm; energy: 290.2 vs 189.4 kcal).
Arthroplasty surgeons face substantial occupational hazards with high musculoskeletal injury rates, significant noise-induced hearing loss, and considerable physiological demands.
While emerging technologies show promise in reducing some physical demands, they introduce new ergonomic considerations, highlighting the need for comprehensive occupational health strategies to ensure sustainable surgical careers.