Introduction: Heavy muscle load during operations, caused by static and awkward postures, contributes to the discomfort of surgeons, and imperils surgical quality. We reviewed the supporting devices available to assist surgeons in the operating room and anticipated that physical support devices would help reduce occupational injuries among surgeons and improve surgical performance.
Methods: A systematic literature review was completed. Papers on supporting devices for intraoperative stress reduction were included. Supported body parts and the impact of these devices on the surgeons' performance were extracted from the 21 selected papers.
Results: Among the 21 devices introduced, eleven targeted on the upper extremities, 5 targeted on the lower extremities, and 5 were ergonomic chairs. Nine devices were tested in the operating room, 10 in a lab setting with simulated tasks, and 2 were still in development. The data from 7 studies did not show a significant improvement in stress reduction or surgical quality. With 2 devices still in the development phase, the remaining 12 papers showed promising results.
Discussion: Although some of the devices were still in testing, most of the research teams believed that physical supporting devices can be useful in reducing muscle load, relieving discomfort, and improving surgical performance intraoperatively.
Keywords: ergonomics; exoskeleton; operating room; patient safety; performance; physical support.