#15 Versus #15c Scalpel Blades for Skin Incisions: Accuracy With and Without Magnification.

Background: Use of a #15 blade is the most popular way for making skin incisions in dermatology. For finer and more accurate incisions, a #15c blade can be used. However, there is no evidence that demonstrates the superiority of the #15c blade over the #15 blade.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the skin incisions made with a #15 blade and #15c blade using varied magnifications.

Methods And Materials: Twenty fresh chicken thighs with intact skin were used in this study. Incisions were made on the skin using #15 and #15c blades with ×1.0, ×2.5, and ×5.0 magnification. The accuracy of the incision (length and depth) made by the different scalpel blades and magnifications was analyzed using the 2 × 3 chi-squared test. Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine factors of the incision depth and length.

Results: No statistically significant differences were found in the evaluations of length or depth using the 2 × 3 chi-squared test. However, the multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the incision length and depth were associated with use of the #15c scalpel blade.

Conclusion: Use of a #15c scalpel blade with ×5.0 magnification is recommended for making incisions when less than 1- to 2-mm accuracy is required.