Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec 18;13(12):1056-1063.
doi: 10.5312/wjo.v13.i12.1056.

Occupational injuries and burn out among orthopedic oncology surgeons

Abdulrahman M Alaseem  1 , Robert E Turcotte  2 , Nathalie Ste-Marie  2 , Mohammad M Alzahrani  3 , Saad M Alqahtani  4 , Krista A Goulding  5
Affiliations

Occupational injuries and burn out among orthopedic oncology surgeons

Abdulrahman M Alaseem et al. World J Orthop. .

Abstract

Background: Orthopedic oncology surgeons commonly engage in prolonged and complex surgical procedures. These types of surgeries increase the risk of physical and psychological stressors, which may in turn make these physicians prone to work-related occupational injuries.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore in orthopedic oncologists, the prevalence of work-related physical injuries and psychological disturbances.

Methods: A modified version of the physical discomfort survey was developed to assess occupational injuries among orthopedic oncology surgeon members of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, the Canadian Orthopedic Oncology Society and European Musculoskeletal Oncology Societies. The survey was sent by email, and it explored musculoskeletal complaints, psychological disturbances, treatment required for these complaints and the requirement of time off work.

Results: A total of 67 surgeon responses were collected. A high number of orthopedic oncologists (84%) reported an occupational injury. Low back pain (39%) was the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition, followed by lumbar disk herniation (16%), shoulder tendinitis (15%) and lateral epicondylitis (13%). Of the cohort, 46% required surgery and 31% required time off work due to their injury. Thirty-three respondents reported a psychological disorder. Burnout (27%), anxiety (20%) and insomnia (20%) were the most commonly reported. Time required off work due to injury was associated with old age and years in practice.

Conclusion: Orthopedic oncology surgeons report a high prevalence of work-related disorders. Lower back related injury and burnout were the most reported disorders. Improving operative room ergonomics and prevention of stress related to the work environment should be areas to explore in upcoming research.

Keywords: Injuries.; Musculoskeletal; Occupational; Orthopedic oncology; Surgeons.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentages of reported musculoskeletal disorders and complaints among survey participants.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentages of reported psychological disorders among survey participants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Giberti C, Gallo F, Francini L, Signori A, Testa M. Musculoskeletal disorders among robotic surgeons: a questionnaire analysis. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2014;86:95–98. - PubMed
    1. Davis WT, Fletcher SA, Guillamondegui OD. Musculoskeletal occupational injury among surgeons: effects for patients, providers, and institutions. J Surg Res. 2014;189:207–212.e6. - PubMed
    1. Capone AC, Parikh PM, Gatti ME, Davidson BJ, Davison SP. Occupational injury in plastic surgeons. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2010;125:1555–1561. - PubMed
    1. Dianat I, Bazazan A, Souraki Azad MA, Salimi SS. Work-related physical, psychosocial and individual factors associated with musculoskeletal symptoms among surgeons: Implications for ergonomic interventions. Appl Ergon. 2018;67:115–124. - PubMed
    1. Park A, Lee G, Seagull FJ, Meenaghan N, Dexter D. Patients benefit while surgeons suffer: an impending epidemic. J Am Coll Surg. 2010;210:306–313. - PubMed