Freely movable armrest for microneurosurgery: technical note.

Abstract

To introduce an armrest that can move freely and can promptly be fixed at any desired position during surgery. We developed a surgical armrest system that incorporates a mechanical arm, equipped with a ball joint, which can be fixed by frictional resistance. The mechanical arm moves freely as compressed air is applied. As the button switch below the armrest is pressed while the armrest is being held (grip switch), the mechanical arm can move freely to the desired position. The mechanical arm is locked in position as soon as the button is released. The stability of the surgeon's hands was markedly increased, and fatigue was markedly decreased, during surgery conducted using this armrest system. The system was used for 60 operations in 6 months without any problems. The freely movable armrest is useful for neurosurgical procedures that require agility and fine movements of the hand.