Medical complications associated with the use of rigid handcuffs: a pilot study

The provision of Police Officers with an updated form of rigid handcuffs in 1992 resulted in adverse publicity with regard to the purported 'serious injuries' that these new handcuffs produced and there was a suggestion that they 'may have to be withdrawn'. However, the police appeared to appreciate the ease of application and control of the detained person that these rigid handcuffs afforded. This pilot study documents injuries to the wrist and other sites on 41 detained persons who had been placed in rigid handcuffs in one Metropolitan Police station during a 7-month period. Nearly all of the wrist injuries that were detected were minor and required no specific treatment. Nonetheless, there is a need for further research comparing the medical complications of rigid handcuffs and other handcuffs currently in use.