Ergonomics of Total Knee Arthroplasty

Introduction Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) imposes significant musculoskeletal demands. Robotic platforms may alter this load, but their ergonomic impact is unclear. We compared biomechanical strain and workload during conventional versus robotic-assisted TKA. Methods Two surgeons and two scrub nurses each performed conventional and robotic TKA (three cases per modality using VELYS, ROSA, and CORI◊). Wearable sensors recorded posture and movement; participants completed workload questionnaires (NASA task load index and Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire). Results Surgeons exhibited lower biomechanical strain during robotic-assisted TKA, with perceived workload shifting from physical to mental demands. In contrast, nurses’ postural strain and reported physical workload were similar for both techniques. Conclusion Robotic assistance may modestly improve surgeon ergonomics but primarily redistributes physical strain. The scrub nurse role was largely unaffected. Integrating sensor and survey assessments provided personalised ergonomic insights. These findings underscore the need to innovate ergonomic training to be more individualised and prevent injury.

Name thesis:degree_name

MCI Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Surgery

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Srirangarajan, Thananjeyen

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Stephenson, Daryl
• Vasarhelyi, Edward
• Lanting, Brent

• Total knee arthroplasty
• ergonomics
• robotic-assisted surgery
• surgeon posture
• scrub nurse ergonomics

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/39523

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/39523