Saddle seat reduces musculoskeletal discomfort of microsurgery surgeons

Microsurgery requires highly precise motoric functions, and usually an intraoperative microscope is used to facilitate the work. When using the microscope, static posture is required to minimize any extra movements that would be unfavorable both in terms of the treatment results and patient safety. Ensuring the ergonomics of a surgeon requires careful planning because the posture must remain optimum in order to avoid extra overload, nevertheless the ergonomic solutions should allow free movements of the body. Microsurgeons generally choose sitting while working to reduce the musculoskeletal disorders caused by long-term static positions.

All the physical stress conditions leading to pain or even injury in the musculoskeletal system are caused by unbalanced posture. The structures of the body can be compared to a tower: if the bottom floor is not stable, the whole tower will eventually crash. In a sitting position this means that the pelvis has to be in its neutral position to optimize healthy curves for the spine. 

– A two-part saddle chair that has a gap in the middle enables the neutral position of pelvis, thus the angle of the hip joint opens and releases the body's lymph and blood circulation from the critical groin area, explains physiotherapist Sanna Hakala from Salli Systems.

– In addition, the correct posture of the upper body and cervical spine allows the shoulder muscles to remain relaxed, so the arteries can bring oxygenated blood for the brain without disturbance. 

Sitting in the correct posture results in increased alertness and work efficiency, reminds Sanna Hakala at her home office in Lahti, Finland.

The importance of sitting ergonomics is also reflected in the expanding scientific research. In a recent study by Labbafinejad et al., the sensations of the musculoskeletal system were investigated while working with a microscope, both sitting on a traditional and a saddle chair. The study included 73 microsurgeons who used both saddle chairs and traditional chairs, and reported the discomfort in the musculoskeletal organs caused by sitting, both before and after the use of the chairs. When working on the saddle chair, the discomfort figures decreased statistically significantly in the areas of the neck, shoulders, back, elbows and arms, where the surgeons indicated the discomfort in the beginning of the study. In addition, they felt overall much more comfortable when sitting on a saddle chair.

As demonstrated by Labbafinejad et al., by sitting on a saddle chair one can achieve a physically more suitable work position that reduces musculoskeletal disorders in various parts of the body, also during microsurgery that requires extremely precise nerve and muscle functions.
– The classic saddle chair that has no gap in the middle, however, presses the genital area, especially for men, whereas the two-part Salli Saddle Chair with a gap in the middle of the seat makes using the ergonomically superior saddle chair possible for men as well, says Sanna Hakala.