Date of Award
Summer 8-23-2025
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Bioengineering
Organizational Unit
Daniel Felix Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science
First Advisor
Chadd Clary
Second Advisor
Casey Myers
Third Advisor
Michelle Knowles
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Arthroplasty, Ergonomics, Motion capture, Musculoskeletal model, Orthopaedics
Abstract
One of the most prevalent hazards to orthopedic surgeons are musculoskeletal disorders with 97% of arthroplasty surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal pain and 66% of orthopedic surgeons reporting procedural-related musculoskeletal injury [1], [2], [3]. With the annual number of total knee arthroplasties (TKA) on the rise, orthopedic surgeons are taking on larger annual caseloads and retiring later in life [4], [5]. The goal of this study was to quantify postural demand for 11 discrete surgical steps of TKA to identify ergonomically unfavorable positions surgeons experience while operating. Four orthopedic surgeons performed TKA while their motions were recorded using marker-based motion capture. It was found that arthroplasty surgeons consistently experienced demanding cervical flexion with an average of 85.2% of the surgery. The surgical tasks found to be most demanding on the upper extremities and spine were drilling the femoral canal, gap assessment and balancing, anterior, posterior, and chamfer cuts, and tibial ream and broach. These surgical steps were determined to be high risk, as prolonged neck flexion and static shoulder flexion and abduction experienced during these surgical tasks are associated with musculoskeletal pain in the upper back and shoulder muscles [6].
Copyright Date
8-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Cameron Dahman
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
136 pgs
File Size
6.7 MB
Recommended Citation
Dahman, Cameron, "Surgeon Ergonomics While Performing Total Knee Arthroplasty" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2625.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2625