Anthropometric characterisation of palm and finger shapes to complement current glove-sizing systems

Abstract

Hand length and width have traditionally been considered key metrics for glove-sizing systems. Morphological differences in palm and finger shapes should also be considered for more accurate glove fitting.In this paper, finger and palm lengths of the five hand digits of 139 subjects from a Mediterranean population were measured. Hierarchical clusters and analysis of variance were applied to identify morphological differences. Three palm shapes and three finger shapes were identified, depending on the predominance of the dimensions of the peripheral digits. It is recommended that at least three different shapes, which combine some of the most frequent cross combinations of palm and hand shapes, should be considered to complement traditional glove sizes. These results provide new insights into improving the fitting of current glove-sizing systems and, consequently, glove safety and efficiency. Relevance to industryThis work classifies palm and hand shapes from metacarpal and digit lengths to improve the fitting of current glove-sizing systems and, therefore, glove safety and efficiency.