A Helpful Assistant for Disinfection in Hand Surgery Procedures: The LocArm Holder

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Innovation
• Operating Room Efficiency

Background:

• Standard upper extremity procedures require staff to manually hold the limb for skin disinfection and preparation.
• This manual assistance can reduce operating room efficiency, especially in busy hand surgery settings.
• Lack of available staff for limb support can lead to delays between procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an innovative, hands-free device for elevating and supporting the upper limb during surgical procedures.
• The device aims to facilitate skin disinfection and surgical field setup while respecting patient tissues.
• To provide an alternative to manual limb support by operating room staff.

Main Methods:

• The device is constructed from three thermoplastic splint sheets (40x60 cm, 2.5 cm thick).
• The final device measures 40x25x15 cm and is positioned under the proximal humerus.
• A retrospective analysis of surgical malpractice claims and institutional non-conformities from 2011-2020 was performed to assess complications.

Main Results:

• 3,187 surgical procedures utilized the device between 2011 and 2020.
• Retrospective analysis revealed no skin lesions or neurological complications (e.g., neuroapraxia).
• No secondary bone procedures were required, and the device did not interfere with the draping process.

Conclusions:

• The developed surgical arm holder is a low-cost, user-friendly alternative for supporting the upper limb.
• It assists surgeons during the disinfection phase and improves pre-operative hospital workflow.
• The device reduces the reliance on additional staff for limb elevation, enhancing operating room efficiency.