The Design and Evaluation of the Neutral Posture Chair for Surgeons

Abstract

A neutral posture chair was designed and evaluated to determine if it was a possible means for reducing or eliminating fatigue experienced by surgeons because of seated body posture during microsurgical procedures. The neutral body posture is defined as the posture found in weightlessness, where the muscle, tendon, and ligament systems acting over the joints are in total balance. The neutral posture chair is a unique combination of a forward-sloping cultivator seat and WI English saddle, with wraparound leg trough support. On subjective questionnaires, surgeons rated the neutral posture chair as being generally superior to a currently utilized surgical chair for general comfort, body-part comfort, and chair features.