HANDS-ON: An innovative, sustainable, and scalable hand model for comprehensive burn debridement training

Teaching surgical debridement and adequate burn therapy among trainees remains a challenge due to limited access to realistic and reusable models. Especially in the context of undergraduate and early postgraduate training, there is a need for cost-effective and sustainable simulation tools that accurately reflect the tactile characteristics of burned tissue. This study aimed to develop a simulator to be a realistic, sustainable, haptically accurate, and low-cost training model suitable for repeated use in hands-on medical education.

A 3D-printed hand model was designed to house a custom-fit insert made of ballistic gelatin. The gelatin insert was layered with color-coded strata to simulate the visual and tactile properties of the burned tissue. Medical students and residents performed surgical debridement following the application of a proper hand dressing. After use, the phantom is completely recycled, allowing full reusability with minimal material cost.

Initial testing indicated high acceptance in terms of realism and educational value with participants reporting significant gains in their confidence in burn depth assessment, debridement techniques, and procedural clarity in burn therapy (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05 for all items). The model demonstrated excellent durability, and the recyclability of gelatin significantly reduced long-term costs and material waste.

This innovative and affordable hand model offers a novel approach to integrate burn wound therapy into the medical curricula. Its realistic haptics, low production cost, and reusability make it an ideal phantom for surgical simulation and skills training, especially in resource-limited educational settings.