Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder Prevalence Among European Surgeons: Effect of Demographic, Economic, and Quality-of-Life Indicators

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are common among surgeons. The objective was to study how economic, demographic, and quality-of-life indicators influence the WMSD prevalence among European surgeons. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Three open databases were scanned without a date limit to extract the overall WMSD prevalence and by body area. Results: Among the 11,814 articles, 25 were included, with a total of 5174 surgeons. The overall prevalence was pooled at 75.8% (95% CI: 68.6–83.1%). The most affected areas were lower back (52.1%, 95% CI: 43.1–61.0%), neck (51.2%, 95% CI: 43.7–58.9%), shoulder (43.1%, 95% CI: 36.4–49.8%) and upper back (34.2%, 95% CI: 24.2–44.1%). Surgeons aged over 45 with more than 10 years’ experience had a higher prevalence of WMSDs in the neck, hip, upper and lower back. The overall and lower back prevalence was higher among surgeons in countries where the surgery-by-surgeon ratio was greater than 125. A negative correlation was observed between the Human Development Index and the lower back prevalence. Conclusions: Further research is needed to strengthen ergonomics programs, knowledge, and organizational work strategies to effectively reduce WMSD prevalence among European surgeons.