Batting
License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 by Joep Vogels (Textielmuseum Tilburg)
Batting (also called wadding or fibrefill) is a matted sheet or loose mass of textile fibre used as a filling and padding material (per Wikidata Q4869920, a textile category whose fibres include cotton, wool, synthetic fibre and cotton wool). It is sold in several working forms — polyester batting and polyester fiberfill, cotton batting, cotton stuffing (cotton wool and cotton balls), and wool — in various thicknesses labelled low-loft to high-loft, by fabric, craft, upholstery and pharmacy suppliers. You work with it by cutting sheet forms to size with scissors, teasing loose forms apart by hand to break up clumps, and then layering, packing or wrapping it to build bulk. In medical simulation it provides compressible layered bulk that stands in for fatty, muscular and connective soft-tissue layers, and fills glove-based bowel structures.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connective tissue (subcutaneous fat plane) | Appendectomy Simulator, Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews), Z-Plasty Simulator | Polyester batting for the subcutaneous fat plane beneath the skin — the Matthews build uses yellow-dyed superficial and deep layers. In the Z-Plasty felt build, cotton batting (cotton cleaning pads a suitable source) forms the soft-tissue dissection layer above the fascia. | ||
| Adipose tissue | Appendectomy Simulator, Z-Plasty Simulator | Thinner polyester batting layer set deeper in the abdominal wall (Appendectomy). In the Z-Plasty gelatin build, wool is teased into a gelatin:glycerine:water 2:6:12 fat-layer recipe as the fibre substrate. | ||
| Muscle | Appendectomy Simulator, Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews), Z-Plasty Simulator | Cotton batting layers with marker-drawn fibre striations for the oblique muscles (Matthews notes a cotton-polyester blend). In the Z-Plasty gelatin build, wool reinforces a gelatin:glycerine:water 8:8:2 muscle recipe. | ||
| Bowel (cecum and appendix) | Appendectomy Simulator, Open Appendectomy Simulator (Matthews), Acute Appendicitis Simulator | Cotton stuffing (cotton balls or loose cotton) bulks the procedure-glove cecum in all three builds; in the Appendectomy build cotton also packs the glove-finger appendix. The glove is the structural form and the cotton provides the fill. | ||
| Mesentery (mesoappendix) | Acute Appendicitis Simulator | Cotton stuffing (or gauze) layered around a vessel loop and wrapped in plastic film to form the mesoappendix. |
References
[edit source]
Overview
[edit source]Low-cost and widely available. Polyester batting and cotton batting are sold by the roll or by the yard/metre at fabric, craft and upholstery suppliers in low- to high-loft thicknesses; cotton wool, cotton balls and polyester fiberfill are sold by the bag at pharmacies and supermarkets; wool is sold as fleece or craft roving. Cut sheet forms to size with scissors, and tease loose forms apart by hand. Store dry.
Synonyms
[edit source]Batting, wadding, fibrefill, fiberfill, quilt batting, quilter's batting; polyester batting, polyester fiberfill, cotton batting, cotton stuffing, cotton wool, cotton balls, wool batting; low-loft batting, high-loft batting. Regional: guata (Spanish), ouate / molleton (French), Watte / Vlies (German), ovatta (Italian), watten (Dutch).
Clinical Context for Simulation
[edit source]Processing & Preparation
[edit source]Safety Considerations
[edit source]Related Materials
[edit source]| Authors | |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "Batting". Appropedia. Retrieved July 20, 2026. |