An observational study in Muskuloskeletan Pain, sponsored by East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-05.
Sponsored by East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to learn whether an exoskeleton system can reduce musculoskeletal strain and pain during microscopic ear surgery in ENT surgeons performing tympanomastoid and related microscopic ear procedures. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does the use of an exoskeleton reduce musculoskeletal strain (measured via surface EMG activity) during surgery? Does the use of an exoskeleton reduce subjective pain scores in the neck, back, and shoulders during surgery?
Researchers will compare surgeries performed with the exoskeleton versus surgeries performed without the exoskeleton to see if it reduces strain, muscle activity, and pain levels.
Participants will:
Perform microscopic ear surgeries with and without the exoskeleton system Wear surface EMG electrodes on the neck, back, and shoulders to record muscle activity Provide subjective pain/strain scores at regular intervals (every 5 minutes) during surgery Follow standard surgical preparation and positioning procedures before data collection begins
10,054 studies on the registry are indexed under Pain; 1,649 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 60 is below the median of 100 across 1,252 observational studies indexed under Pain.
Browse Pain studies →East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust is the lead sponsor of 38 studies on the registry; 20 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The study population consists of ENT surgeons who routinely perform microscopic ear surgeries, including tympanomastoid procedures and hearing implant operations. Participants are clinicians working within the ENT department who are willing to undergo surface EMG monitoring and use the exoskeleton support system during live surgical procedures.
Eligible participants must have experience in microscopic ear surgery and no pre-existing musculoskeletal conditions that would limit their ability to perform surgery or safely use the exoskeleton.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
With Exoskeleton: ENT surgeons performing microscopic ear surgery while wearing the exoskeleton support system. During procedures, participants will have surface EMG electrodes placed on the neck, back, and shoulders to measure muscle activity, and will report subjective pain/strain scores at regular intervals.
Without Exoskeleton: ENT surgeons performing microscopic ear surgery under standard conditions without the exoskeleton. The same protocol will be followed, including surface EMG monitoring and regular subjective pain/strain assessments, to allow comparison with the intervention group.
Change in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) Score for Musculoskeletal Strain
Difference in participant-reported musculoskeletal strain during microscopic tympanomastoid surgery performed with and without the exoskeleton. Strain will be assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 5-minute intervals throughout each operation.
Time frame: From the start of each operation to the end of the surgical procedure, with assessments every 5 minutes
Difference in Surface Electromyography (sEMG) Amplitude (% Change From Rest)
Difference in muscle activity, measured using surface electromyography (sEMG), during microscopic tympanomastoid surgery performed with and without the exoskeleton. Results will be expressed as percentage change from resting sEMG amplitude in the neck, shoulder and back muscles.
Time frame: From the start of each operation to the end of the surgical procedure.
Difference in Maximum Surface Electromyography (sEMG) Amplitude
Difference in maximum muscle activity, measured using surface electromyography (sEMG), during microscopic tympanomastoid surgery performed with and without the exoskeleton. Maximum sEMG amplitude will be assessed in the neck, shoulder and back muscles
Time frame: From the start of each operation to the end of the surgical procedure.
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Plan to share: No
Started Sep 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Sep 2027, 12 months after the start.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust