Trunk muscle training, posture fatigue, and performance in laparoscopic surgery

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of trunk muscle endurance training on the perception of back postural fatigue and performance of a laparoscopic task. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one medical students (18 men and 13 women) with no laparoscopic surgical experience were randomly assigned to either a training group or a control group. Participants in the training group underwent a 6-week, 18-session trunk (abdominal and back muscle) endurance training program, whereas participants in the control group did not. Performance by all participants was assessed on a simulated laparoscopic task under varying conditions of low back postural fatigue, both before and after the training program. Results: Participants in the training group showed significant improvements in trunk endurance after the 6-week trunk endurance training program (P < 0.05), whereas those in the control group did not. The improvements in trunk endurance were accompanied by significantly reduced perceptions of discomfort (P < .001) and fewer errors during performance of the laparoscopic task (P < 0.02), whereas no significant changes occurred for the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Increasing trunk endurance can reduce postural fatigue and discomfort during simulated laparoscopic tasks, which may assist in the management of errors during laparoscopy. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2008.