title: Automated high-frequency posture sampling for ergonomic assessment of laparoscopic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite widespread acknowledgement that strain injuries do occur to surgeons, ergonomic assessments in minimally invasive surgery are comparatively rare. Current assessment techniques rely on labor-intensive manual recording techniques, so there is a need for an automated system.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used an optoelectronic measurement system to make postural measurements at frequencies of ~5 Hz and then converted these measurements to ergonomic stress scores using a modified Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully recorded postures at least once per second during 96% of the time the surgeon was performing tissue manipulation tasks. We found that the ergonomic stress scores were comparatively high throughout the procedure, particularly for the wrist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An automated high-frequency postural measurement system is feasible for making ergonomic assessments in an intraoperative setting. Such a system will also be a critical component in validating surgical simulations for use in training and credentialing surgeons and in designing and evaluating equipment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Person
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Nagy
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005121:Extremities / Q000502:physiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods