Abstract
Introduction: Orthopedic instrumentation is generally made as one-size-fits-all. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hand size and sex on ease of use and injury rates from orthopedic tools and surgical instruments.Methods: An anonymous 21-item online survey was distributed to orthopedic trainees and attendings. Questions regarding demographics, physical symptoms and treatment, perceptions, and instrument-specific concerns were included. The analysis included statistics comparing responses based on sex, height, and glove size, with significance as p<0.05.Results: There were 204 respondents: 119 female and 84 male. Male and female respondents differed significantly in height (mean difference 5.4 in, p<0.001) and glove size (median size 6.5 size for females, size 8 for males, p<0.001). While 69.8% of respondents reported physical discomfort or symptoms they attributed to their operating instruments, female surgeons were significantly more likely to endorse symptoms (87.3% female vs. 45.2% male, p<0.001). Of those reporting symptoms, 47.7% had undergone treatment, with no significant difference by surgeon sex (p=0.073). Female surgeons were significantly more likely than their male counterparts to have negative attitudes toward orthopedic surgical instruments and to report specific surgical instruments as difficult or uncomfortable to use.Conclusion: Female orthopedic surgeons are more likely than their male counterparts to report physical symptoms attributed to orthopedic surgical instruments, to have negative attitudes toward instruments, and to identify a larger number of common instruments as difficult or uncomfortable to use. Further emphasis on ergonomic instrument design is needed to allow all orthopedic surgeons to operate as safely and effectively as possible.
Highlights
Orthopedic instrumentation is generally made as one-size-fits-all
Data from 2013 showed that 50.1% of orthopedic surgeons reported a financial relationship with industry, with
We found that female orthopedic surgeons were significantly more likely than male orthopedic surgeons to report physical discomfort or symptoms attributable to surgical instruments, to have negative attitudes toward orthopedic surgical instrument design, and to identify a larger number of common instruments as difficult or uncomfortable to use
Summary
Orthopedic instrumentation is generally made as one-size-fits-all. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hand size and sex on ease of use and injury rates from orthopedic tools and surgical instruments. While there is no published data on the gender breakdown of orthopedic surgeons who consult for industry, literature from a variety of medical specialties has shown male surgeons are more likely to have consulting relationships with industry and may be more likely to consult on implant and hardware design than female surgeons [4] This could lead to a potential bias of the ergonomics of these devices and their accompanying equipment for taller male surgeons with larger hands. Based on these facts, we sought to evaluate the effects of surgeon hand size, height, and sex on ease of use and injury rates for orthopedic tools and surgical instruments. Our hypothesis was that shorter height, smaller hand size, and female gender would predispose surgeons to musculoskeletal symptoms attributed to and negative perceptions toward orthopedic surgical instruments
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