Computational modelling of hospital mattresses made from spacer fabrics

Year 2020, Volume: 30 Issue: 4, 239 - 250, 29.12.2020

Dimitroula Matsouka Savvas Vassılıadıs Clio Vassou Arzu Marmaralı

https://doi.org/10.32710/tekstilvekonfeksiyon.585936

Cited By: 2

Abstract

The appearance of pressure ulcers is a very common occurrence, especially for 

people with limited mobility who are obliged to spend a long time prone on a support surface. 

Pressure ulcers in severe cases can cause damage to underlying muscle and bone. Damage to 

deeper tissues, tendons and joints may also occur. Serious complications, such as infection of 

the bone (osteomyelitis) or blood (sepsis), can occur if pressure sores progress. While the 

main strategy for dealing with pressure ulcers is centred around the interaction of patient and 

care-giver (manually changing the position of the patient every two hours in order to relieve 

pressure on critical body areas, examination of patient for signs of pressure ulcer formation) 

there are auxiliary approaches, such as the choice of a pressure relieving support surface. 

Currently, a variety of support surfaces exists. The criteria of choice are dependent on factors 

such as the medical history of the patient and economic. The emergence of 3D spacer fabrics 

as textile materials with good compression behaviour makes them suitable candidates for the 

production of support surfaces that contribute to the prevention of pressure ulcers. In order to 

decide on their suitability, extended clinical trials involving actual patients must be 

performed. In the present paper, a computational methodology utilizing a tool, widely used in 

the area of engineering namely Finite Element (FE) Method, is proposed as a supporting tool 

for the preliminary evaluation of the suitability in terms of mechanical behaviour of certain 

3D spacer fabrics, providing an insight of the deformation, stress and strain developed on the 

bodies (human body – mattress) as well as on their interface. 

 

Keywords

Pressure ulcers, medical support surfaces, spacer fabrics, finite elements method

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