# Passive neck brace for surgeons

## TL;DR

This paper presents a bioinspired neck brace for surgeons to reduce neck strain by mimicking the nuchal ligament of animals like giraffes.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is a passive neck brace design inspired by ungulate anatomy to offload neck muscle tension during prolonged surgical procedures.

## Key findings

- A prototype neck brace reduced torque on neck muscles by 21% when the head was flexed 40 degrees.
- The device allows for natural head movements while providing passive support.
- The brace is a proof-of-concept for preventing musculoskeletal injuries in surgeons.

## Abstract

A surgeon peers downward into a body cavity when operating. Holding this position for hours across weeks, months, and years may lead to neck pain and musculoskeletal disorders. We were inspired by ungulates such as giraffes and horses, which use dorsal‐ventral flexion to graze for 9–14 h per day without perceivable neck pain. Ungulates evolved a strong nuchal ligament that relieves neck muscles by stretching to support some of the weight of the head during grazing or running. In contrast, humans evolved an upright posture, and like many primates, have a reduced nuchal ligament. The goal of this study is to use the nuchal ligament as inspiration for a neck brace that passively supports the weight of the head while still permitting lateral flexion, ventral‐dorsal flexion, and rotation. We assembled a prototype using an elastic band, headband, and back posture corrector. Our device augments the human nuchal ligament by using a stiff material and greater mechanical advantage. By our calculations, flexing the head ventrally 40 degrees when wearing the brace reduces the torque applied by neck muscles by 21%. Our device is a proof‐of‐concept that a bioinspired device can offload neck muscular tension and prevent injury.

Surgeons peer downward into body cavities when operating. Holding this position for hours across weeks, months, and years may lead to neck pain and musculoskeletal disorder. Inspired by the strong nuchal ligaments of ungulates such as giraffes and horses, we analyzed the structure and strain of the nuchal ligament and proposed a neck brace that would augment the human nuchal ligament to offload neck muscular tension and prevent injury.