Comparison of Force Distribution during Laryngoscopy with the C-MAC D-BLADE and Macintosh-Style Blades: A Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: The geometry of a laryngoscope’s blade determines the forces acting on the pharyngeal structures to a relevant degree. Knowledge about the force distribution along the blade may prospectively allow for the development of less traumatic blades. Therefore, we examined the forces along the blades experienced during laryngoscopy with the C-MAC D-BLADE and blades of the Macintosh style. We hypothesised that lower peak forces are applied to the patient’s pharyngeal tissue during videolaryngoscopy with a C-MAC D-BLADE compared to videolaryngoscopy with a C-MAC Macintosh-style blade and direct laryngoscopy with a Macintosh-style blade. Beyond that, we assumed that the distribution of forces along the blade differs depending on the respective blade’s geometry. Methods: After ethical approval, videolaryngoscopy with the D-BLADE or the Macintosh blade, or direct laryngoscopy with the Macintosh blade (all KARL STORZ, Tuttlingen, Germany), was performed on 164 randomly assigned patients. Forces were measured at six positions along each blade and compared with regard to mean force, peak force and spatial distribution. Furthermore, the duration of the laryngoscopy was measured. Results: Mean forces (all p < 0.011) and peak forces at each sensor position (all p < 0.019) were the lowest with the D-BLADE, whereas there were no differences between videolaryngoscopy and direct laryngoscopy with the Macintosh blades (all p > 0.128). With the D-BLADE, the forces were highest at the blade’s tip. In contrast, the forces were more evenly distributed along the Macintosh blades. Videolaryngoscopy took the longest with the D-BLADE (p = 0.007). Conclusions: Laryngoscopy with the D-BLADE resulted in significantly lower forces acting on pharyngeal and laryngeal tissue compared to Macintosh-style blades. Interestingly, with the Macintosh blades, we found no advantage for videolaryngoscopy in terms of force application.