Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Surgeons Performing Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) are highly prevalent among orthopaedic surgeons, but procedure-related symptom patterns, symptom intensity, and perceived interference remain incompletely characterised. This exploratory cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence, anatomical distribution, and occupational consequences of musculoskeletal symptoms among surgeons performing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and explored a non-validated descriptive discomfort–interference composite score. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to a diverse group of 72 orthopaedic surgeons in Spain who performed TKA as part of their broader orthopaedic practice. Data on demographics, anatomical discomfort, global discomfort intensity, and functional interference were collected. A raw discomfort–interference score (DIIraw, 0–600) and a normalised score (DII100, 0–100) were calculated strictly as exploratory descriptors. Subgroup comparisons were performed according to the surgical position adopted during TKA. Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms was 81.9%, with the lumbar spine (47.2%) and neck (38.9%) being the most affected regions. Mean global VAS discomfort was low (1.94 ± 2.08; median 1.0 [0.0–3.0]), although 15.3% of participants reported VAS ≥ 5. Self-reported physician-diagnosed work-related musculoskeletal conditions were reported by 51.4%, with 5.6% reporting sick leave and 6.9% reporting surgical intervention. DII100 values were low and skewed (mean 1.41 ± 2.31; median 0.25 [0.0–1.75]). No statistically significant differences were observed across surgical positions. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal symptoms were common among surgeons performing TKA, mainly affecting the lumbar and cervical regions, but average symptom intensity was low. A smaller subset reported clinically relevant discomfort and occupational consequences. The discomfort–interference composite score and any distribution-based values should be interpreted only as exploratory descriptors and require external validation. This study found no evidence of differences in musculoskeletal burden between surgical positions.