Ergonomics and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Characteristics Among Female Interventionists
- PMID: 34722032
- PMCID: PMC8544652
- DOI: 10.7759/cureus.18226
Ergonomics and Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: Characteristics Among Female Interventionists
Abstract
Interventional radiology is a procedural specialty that performs minimally invasive operations under image guidance. Currently, there are inadequate ergonomic protocols for work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) prevention in interventional radiology (IR), and there is a paucity of information discerning gender differences in WMSDs. This article reviews current literature that addresses WMSDs in female physicians practicing interventional and fluoroscopic procedures, including interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, vascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and gastroenterology. We searched PubMed and EBSCOhost databases for ergonomic studies that reported female physician WMSDs in the specialties listed above. After a thorough evaluation for inclusion based on eligibility criteria, 11 studies were included. From this search, there was poor female representation, averaging 25.7% of respondents. Several characteristics identified across the studies were that women were generally shorter, wore smaller glove sizes, and were younger than their male colleagues. Seventy-two percent of female proceduralists reported WMSDs versus 46.6% of their male colleagues. Additionally, women may experience more upper extremity pain than lumbar pain, which men commonly reported. Potential contributing factors to WMSDs are the size and design of procedural tools and the possible predisposition of female physicians to experience upper extremity WMSDs while performing the same operations as men. As more women enter medicine and pursue careers in procedural fields like interventional radiology, it is essential to address these discrepancies and develop ergonomically sound solutions for women.
Keywords: ergonomic training; ergonomics; female proceduralists; gender differences in ergonomics; interventional radiology; interventionist; women in surgery; work-related injury; work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
Copyright © 2021, Barnard et al.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Figures
References
-
- Ergonomics in IR. Knuttinen MG, Zurcher KS, Wallace A, Doe C, Naidu SG, Money SR, Rochon PJ. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2021;32:235–241. - PubMed
-
- Prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in interventional radiologists. Morrison JJ, Jiao A, Robinson S, Jahangiri Y, Kaufman JA. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2020;31:1308–1314. - PubMed
-
- Occupational health hazards of working in the interventional laboratory: a multisite case control study of physicians and allied staff. Orme NM, Rihal CS, Gulati R, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015;65:820–826. - PubMed
-
- Ergonomics in the development and prevention of musculoskeletal injury in interventional radiologists. Benjamin JL, Meisinger QC. Tech Vasc Interv Radiol. 2018;21:16–20. - PubMed
-
- Society of interventional radiology: occupational back and neck pain and the interventional radiologist. Dixon RG, Khiatani V, Statler JD, et al. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2017;28:195–199. - PubMed
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Research Materials