The use of wearable sensors for ergonomic risk assessment of surgical procedures: a literature review

Abstract

Surgical procedures place significant physical demand on surgeons, frequently requiring long periods of standing, repetitive and/or forceful movements, and sustained awkward postures, which raises the possibility of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD). In response, several ergonomic risk assessment methods have emerged to identify risk factors in the workplace. A transformational approach involves associating wearable sensors to the ergonomic risk assessment data collection procedures, offering significant advantages over self-reporting and observational methods. Wearable sensors enable the use of a real-time quantitative approach to monitor surgeon’s exposure to risk factors during surgeries.This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on the use of wearable sensors for ergonomic risk assessment of surgeries, highlighting their strengths and limitations. Moreover, it provides an in-depth analysis of the assessments described in the studies. The majority of the reviewed studies were published in the last three years, confirming a growing trend in research on this topic. The wearable sensors, whether used individually or in combination, include inertial sensors to assess exposure to awkward postures or repetitive movements and sEMG sensors to measure muscle activity parameters.The significance of this paper lies in its potential to guide future research directions, inform best practices in ergonomic risk assessment methodologies, and influence the development of targeted interventions to mitigate the exposure to risk factors faced by surgeons.