title: Evaluation of a new disposable silicon limbal relaxing incision knife by experienced users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous research has suggested that the silicon BD Atomic Edge knife has superior performance characteristics when compared to a metal knife and performance similar to diamond knife when making various incisions. This study was designed to determine whether a silicon accurate depth knife has equivalent performance characteristics when compared to a diamond limbal relaxing incision (LRI) knife and superior performance characteristics when compared to a steel accurate depth knife when creating limbal relaxing incision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five ophthalmic surgeons with limbal relaxing incision experience created limbal relaxing incisions in ex-vivo porcine eyes with silicon and steel accurate depth knives and diamond LRI knives. The ophthalmic surgeons rated multiple performance characteristics of the knives on Visual Analog Scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The observed differences between the silicon knife and diamond knife were found to be insignificant. The mean ratio between the performance of the silicon knife and the diamond knife was shown to be greater than 90% (with 95% confidence). The silicon knife's mean performance was significantly higher than the performance of the steel knife for all characteristics. (p-value < .05)
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For experienced users, the silicon accurate depth knife was found to be equivalent in performance to the diamond LRI knife and superior to the steel accurate depth knife when making limbal relaxing incisions in ex vivo porcine eyes. Disposable silicon LRI knives may be an alternative to diamond LRI knives.
authors.affiliation: Becton Dickinson and Company, 1 Becton Drive, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA. John_Albanese@bd.com
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albanese
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dugue
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Parvu
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bajart
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018130:Diamond; D004867:Equipment Design; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000601:surgery*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012825:Silicon; D013232:Steel; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000592:standards*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D013232:Steel; D018130:Diamond; D012825:Silicon