Validation of digital tourniquet pressures: An experimental comparison of T-Ring(TM) and conventional surgical glove in human volunteers

Digital tourniquets are widely used for the management of digital injuries in emergency departments or outpatient clinics. This study is focused on the pressure analysis of digital tourniquets on some points not covered in the existing literature. A total of thirty volunteers were enrolled in this study. Instantaneous surface pressure was measured at the thumbs, index fingers, and little fingers. We investigated the pressure according to the circumference of digits, tourniquet types, and measurement sites (dorsal and mid lateral volar sides) above the digital vessels. Continuous pressure was measured in artificial silicone models to determine the change of pressure over 2 hours. The average pressure measured on the mid lateral volar side of volunteers fingers were 154.3 ± 54.9 mm Hg by T-Ring(TM) and 162.6 ± 61.0 mm Hg by surgical glove. The pressure on the dorsal side were 224.7 ± 57.7 mm Hg by T-Ring(TM) and 228.8 ± 66.0 mm Hg by surgical glove, each significantly higher than the mid lateral volar side. The circumference of digits did not significantly affect the surface pressure. The pressure pattern did not change significantly over 2 hours in both tourniquet types. The surface pressure of the mid lateral volar side was significantly lower than that of the dorsal side. However, there was no significant pressure difference according to the circumference of digits. Time dependent pressure change were not significantly different between 2 tourniquets.