TOURNIQUET SLIPPAGE IN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY – A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF THE USE OF TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TOURNIQUET APPLICATION TECHNIQUES

Abstract

In modern orthopaedics surgery, the pneumatic tourniquet has become an essential tool that paved the way to many of the advances in trauma and orthopaedic surgery. Tourniquet slippage is one of the challenging disadvantages of it use. This study examines the possibility of reducing tourniquet slippage by comparing two different tourniquet application techniques.

Twenty two patients were included in the study. Thirteen were males and eight were females. The average age was fifty five years. The patients were randomized into two groups, a controlled, and a modified tourniquet application technique groups. There were eleven patients in the control group and ten in the modified group. A standard tourniquet application technique was used as a control by applying Softband (Orthoband) alone to skin prior to application of tourniquet; this was compared to a modified version where a drape (Steridrape) was used as an interval layer.

There was a strong statistical significant difference in tourniquet slippage between the two groups, p< 0.0001 the control group being the better performer.

We concluded that steridrape interval makes tourniquet slippage more likely to occur.