Resident Posture Biofeedback Study

While a majority of surgical ergonomic studies have been evaluating attending surgeons, few have evaluated surgical ergonomics within the surgical resident. Biofeedback devices can be partnered with education and geared towards surgical residents to decrease current and future musculoskeletal disorders, which may in turn lead to longer and more fulfilling careers.

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Key information

Conditions

Postural; Strain Healthy Sprains and Strains Wounds and Injuries

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157, United States

About this study

This study aims to use a commercially-available posture training device for surgical residents that sends biofeedback in the form of a gentle vibration if posture has deviated from the upright (neutral) position for a long period of time. For residents performing minimally-invasive procedures with a laparoscopic approach, our overarching hypothesis is that the time spent in a non-upright position will be less after using the posture biofeedback device compared with before. The study hypothesizes that residents will report fewer complaints related to musculoskeletal pain after wearing the posture training device.

Residents completing general surgery rotations will be recruited and wear a biofeedback device for about four weeks while performing laparoscopic procedures. Posture data from the device and survey data in the form of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) will be collected and analyzed.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Surgical residents with surgical experience of at least one year (Postgraduate year 2-5)
Completing a one-month rotation at the study sites within the general surgery department during the study period

Exclusion criteria

Clinically diagnosed inflammatory musculoskeletal disorders per self-report
History of orthopedic surgery in the last six months per self-report

Treatment and study plan

Posture Biofeedback Device

Device

Participants will wear a commercially available posture training device for a two-week tracking period and a two-week training period while performing laparoscopic procedures.

Primary outcomes

Time spent in upright vs non-upright position

Time frame: week 1 to week 4]

proportion (percentage) of time (minutes) in the upright position relative to the non-upright position during laparoscopic procedures

Secondary outcomes

Change in Self-reported musculoskeletal pain score

Time frame: baseline to week 4

Complaints related to musculoskeletal pain assessed using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) - measures self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort for all body segments. 1 = low (score 1-2) 2 = moderate (score 3-4) 3 = high (score 5-7) 4 = very high (score 8-10 - higher scores meaning more discomfort

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself: A Wearable Biofeedback Device to Decrease Surgical Resident's Time in a Non-upright Posture and Work-related Musculoskeletal Pain

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Aug 21, 2024
Registry last updated: Jul 2, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed