Do your surgical glove characteristics and wearing habits affect your tactile sensibility?

Abstract

Backround Tactile sensibility plays a critical role in medicine, especially in surgical practice. In order to prevent surgical site infections and protect the surgeon, the use of surgical gloves is standard practice. However, wearing these might affect the sensibility of the hand disadvantageously, especially in disciplines that require precision work. Methods We evaluated the influence of six different glove types, as well as gloves wearing habits (double gloving, over- and undersized gloves) on tactile sensibility using two-point-discrimination and Semmes-Weinstein monofilament testing in 27 non-surgeons. Results There were significant differences regarding tactile sensibility of gloved compared to bare hands and between different types of gloves. While undersized gloves and double gloving did not affect tactile sensibility, oversized gloves were associated with a significant deterioration of the sensibility of the hand in the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test. Conclusion This study demonstrates that surgical gloves negatively affect the sensibility of the hand and show significant differences between different types of gloves.

An Unmet Need: Surgical Gloves with Variable Finger Lengths

“…Concerning effects of poor-fitting gloves, Moog et al 4 found that oversized gloves caused significantly deteriorated tactile sensibility. Undersized gloves did not affect sensibility but caused discomfort.…”

Surgical experience and different glove wearing conditions affect tactile sensibility

“…The finger's interaction with a surface is physiologically detected by mechanoreceptors located at different levels in the skin [ 2 ]. Wearing gloves reduces the effectiveness of fine touch discrimination [ 3 ], although it is an indispensable protective barrier against bloodborne pathogens while performing surgery [ 4 ].…”

“…Previous studies that evaluated the effect of medical gloves using standardized sensibility tests, i.e., Semmes-Weinstein monofilament and two-point discrimination, have shown that wearing gloves reduces significantly touch sensitivity [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]. To alleviate the impediment to surgical performance caused by gloves, surgeons have different glove wearing habits and preferences, i.e., personal choice of glove brand, glove thickness, single-gloving, double-gloving, well-fitted, undersized or oversized gloves [ 7 ].…”

“…Double gloving is widely considered as a means to further reduce blood exposure to the hands and bloodborne infections due to breeches of the glove barrier, e.g., through sharp instruments or material fatigue during long surgical procedures [ 10 , 11 ]. In this aspect, the sensibility performance of double gloving is commonly discussed in the literature and led to controversial results: Some studies proved a deficit of sensibility when wearing a double layer [ 6 , 11 ] and others noticed no difference compared to single gloving [ 3 , 10 ].…”

Assessments of Work Gloves in Terms of the Strengths of Hand Grip, One-Handed Carrying, and Leg Lifting

“…Sci. 2021, 11, 8294 2 of 14 hand [25][26][27][28]. In addition, the structure of the glove could hamper fingers' movements.…”