球面状突出部と円盤状周辺部を有する３軸力測定装置によるゲル層付マットレスの圧力分配とずれ抵抗の測定

抄録

Prolonged external force on the body surface is a cause of pressure injury, and polyurethane foam and gel-like materials are used to protect the soft tissue at protruding bone regions from the pressure injury. The aim of this study is an evaluation of the pressure redistribution and the shear resistance for two kinds of mattress, i.e., a standard mattress which is made of polyurethane mattress and a mattress with an upper layer of thin gel-like material and a thick layer of polyurethane foam. The measurement was conducted with a single condition by applying vertical and horizontal forces on the mattresses and measuring forces on the round surface of the protruding shaft and the surrounding disc of the developed device. The mattress with a gel-like layer showed a better pressure redistribution for the average pressure level of <3 kPa on the surrounding disc. It also showed a lower shear resistance. These results indicate an advantage of a usage of a gel-like material layer. Other loading conditions are necessary for better understanding of the mattresses.