Thursday, October 2, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Technology and Engineering

Wearable technology assesses surgeons’ posture during surgery

April 19, 2024
in Technology and Engineering
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Wearable technology assesses surgeons’ posture during surgery
66
SHARES
601
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Arizona led a study that can help surgeons obtain biofeedback of their posture during long surgical procedures. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce the stress associated with maintaining static postures while operating.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Arizona led a study that can help surgeons obtain biofeedback of their posture during long surgical procedures. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce the stress associated with maintaining static postures while operating.

Published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, this pilot study evaluated the feasibility of using wearable technology to assess the posture of neurosurgeons during long spine and cranial procedures. The findings show that wearable technology is a feasible and reproducible approach to provide objective feedback necessary to raise postural awareness and implement protocols focused on correcting posture to prevent musculoskeletal issues in surgeons.

“Wearable technology can identify those periods when neglected postures are more prevalent, enabling prompt correction,” said first author of the work, Dr. Alejandro Zulbaran-Rojas, research associate in the Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery.

Although neurosurgeons are aware that static postures cause significant harm, the methodology for assessing their posture is suboptimal. The present study used wearable technology to quantify neurosurgeon upper body spasticity, or muscle stiffness, either when leaning forward or backward.

Ten neurosurgeons, including five attendings and five trainees, were recruited and equipped with two wearable sensors attached to the back of their head and their upper back. The sensors collected the average time spent in extended, neutral and flexed static postures during spine and cranial procedures.

The researchers successfully collected and analyzed 16 of 20 possible recordings from 11 procedures (eight spine, three cranial). “We found that surgeons remained in a static posture approximately 52.1% (38 minutes) and 53.2% (77.6 minutes) of active surgical time during spine and cranial procedures, respectively,” Zulbaran said. “This is a considerable amount of time given that the American College of Surgeons recommends avoiding prolonged static postures by taking mini-breaks at least every 30 minutes to incorporate range-of-motion stretches.”

The present study also showed that taller neurosurgeons spent longer time in flexed and extended positions during cranial surgery. “Objective biofeedback can guide surgeons in adjusting their posture in relation to the table height to improve their ergonomics, the interactions with the equipment they use in surgical practice, especially in procedures in which there is constant position switching (standing to sitting and vice versa), as well as tailoring interventions based on specific procedures and level of expertise.

“Maintaining an ideal, perfectly straight posture might seem intuitive, but the reality is that surgical procedures often require a range of body positions to access different anatomical structures effectively,” Zulbaran said. “Wearable technology can provide self-awareness of static positions that are not always captured or assumed by a simple view. Detecting incorrect motion patterns at early career stages may help emerging surgeons correct their posture and avoid long-term injuries.”

“The potential impact and implications of our findings are significant for surgical practice and training,” said corresponding author Dr. Bijan Najafi, professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery. “Using wearable technology to monitor and analyze surgeons’ posture offers a proactive approach to preventing the onset of musculoskeletal disorders such as back and neck pain. This could lead to improved surgeon health and well-being, enhanced performance and potentially extended career longevity. Additionally, personalized training programs derived from wearable data could revolutionize surgical education, equipping novice surgeons with the tools to adopt optimal postural habits from the outset of their careers.”

Future studies are needed to evaluate the use of this wearable technology in other specialties.

Mohammad D. Rouzi, Mohsen Zahiri, Abderrahman Ouattas, Christina M. Walter, Hung Nguyen, Sanam Bidadi and G. Michael Lemole also contributed to this work. The authors are affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine or University of Arizona College of Medicine.

This study received partial support from Baylor College of Medicine and the Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP). Additional funding was granted by the National Institute on Aging award no. R44-AG061951-02.

###



Journal

Journal of Neurosurgery Spine

DOI

10.3171/2024.1.SPINE231001

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Objective assessment of postural ergonomics in neurosurgery: integrating wearable technology in the operating room

Article Publication Date

19-Apr-2024

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Postpartum breast cancer and survival in women with germline BRCA pathogenic variants

Next Post

Pomegranate power: Unlocking sustainable antimicrobial solutions from peels

Related Posts

blank
Technology and Engineering

Advanced Composite Engineering Boosts Sodium-Ion Battery Performance

October 2, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Breakthrough: Innovative Membrane Gel from UCSB Paves the Way for Advancements in Breast Cancer Research

October 2, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Enhancing Biosecurity Measures for Genes Associated with High-Risk Proteins

October 2, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Exploring RNA-Protein Interactions: A Pathway to Innovative Cancer and Brain Disease Therapies

October 2, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Embracing Uncertainty: A New Approach for Engineers in Designing Complex Systems

October 2, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

WindSTAR Secures NSF Grant to Fuel Advancements in AI Research

October 2, 2025
Next Post
Pomegranate power: Unlocking sustainable antimicrobial solutions from peels

Pomegranate power: Unlocking sustainable antimicrobial solutions from peels

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27562 shares
    Share 11022 Tweet 6889
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    970 shares
    Share 388 Tweet 243
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    646 shares
    Share 258 Tweet 162
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    513 shares
    Share 205 Tweet 128
  • Groundbreaking Clinical Trial Reveals Lubiprostone Enhances Kidney Function

    477 shares
    Share 191 Tweet 119
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Healthcare Practitioners’ Views on NHI in Sedibeng
  • Advanced Composite Engineering Boosts Sodium-Ion Battery Performance
  • Depression Alters Theta, Alpha in Memory Tasks
  • Validating Persian Experiential Avoidance Scale for Psychological Inflexibility

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Success! An email was just sent to confirm your subscription. Please find the email now and click 'Confirm Follow' to start subscribing.

Join 5,186 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine