¹Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
²Aalborg University Hospital North, Aalborg, Denmark
³Aarhus Universitetshospital, Aarhus, Denmark
⁴Tübingen University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
⁵Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

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Introduction: Surgeons have a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which are characterized by reported discomfort and pain. The aim of this presentation is to assess the impact of physical activity interventions on musculoskeletal health among surgeons.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using data from six databases. The population included surgeons, the interventions comprised physical activity, e.g., microbreaks, exercise, ergonomic advice, and the outcomes focused on musculoskeletal health e.g., pain and discomfort.

Results: Out of 3,640 unique articles, nine studies were included, all of which had a high risk of bias. Six studies assessed the short-term effects of microbreaks with/without exercise, while three examined long-term effects of exercise with/without ergonomic advice.

With respect to the short-term effects, microbreaks without exercise resulted in a significant reduction in musculoskeletal pain in the spine, arms, and knees.

In the meta-analysis, pooled estimates for microbreaks with exercise were -0.54 (95% CI -0.88, -0.19) for the spine, -0.62 (95% CI -0.89, -0.34) for the upper extremities, and -0.23 (95% CI -0.36, -0.09) for the lower extremities. In the long term, exercise alone significantly reduced pain in most body parts, whereas exercise with ergonomic advice showed significant reductions in lower back, knee, ankle, and foot pain.

Grading the quality of evidence, a low level of evidence was found for the effects of microbreaks with exercise, whereas a very low level of evidence was found for the remaining interventions.

Discussion: All studies were at a high risk of bias but showed small-to-moderate benefits of physical activity for surgeons’ musculoskeletal health. Short- and long-term effects were observed, although their clinical relevance remains unclear. No specific approach emerged as clearly superior, and evidence on which subgroups benefit most is lacking.

Conclusion: Methodological limitations were common across the retrieved studies, indicating the need for higher-quality research, such as randomized controlled trials within this domain. Despite low to very low-level evidence, physical activity interventions seem to improve musculoskeletal health among surgeons over both the short and long term.