title: Ergonomic analysis of muscle activity in the forearm and back muscles during laparoscopic surgery: influence of previous experience and performed task.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The first aim of this study is to analyze the muscle activity in back and forearm muscles in surgeons during laparoscopic dissection and suturing maneuvers. The second aim is to determine the influence of the surgeons' previous experience in laparoscopic surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 30 laparoscopic surgeons were divided in 3 groups: novice suturing, novice dissecting, and experts suturing. Electromyography data were collected from the trapezius, forearm flexors, and forearm extensors muscles, during the proposed tasks on physical simulator.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Muscle activity was significantly lower in the expert group. Moreover, muscle activity in the trapezius was significantly higher during the completion of intracorporeal suturing when compared with that during dissection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results obtained in this study show that the surgeons with a higher degree of laparoscopic experience exhibit a lower level of muscle activity when compared with the novice surgeons. Moreover, in accordance to our results, laparoscopic suturing involves a higher degree of muscle effort than during laparoscopic dissection.
authors.affiliation: Laparoscopy Unit, Minimally Invasive Surgery Centre Jesús Usón, Cáceres, Spain. fperez@ccmijesususon.com
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Duarte
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Margallo
authors.forename: Idoia Díaz-Güemes
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Martín-Portugués
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Hurtado
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lucas-Hernández
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Margallo
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usón-Gargallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004210:Dissection / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D006804:Ergonomics; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006176:Gynecology / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D058996:Quality Improvement; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014572:Urology / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends