Abstract
In clinical application of elastic garments and bandages for treatments of venous disease and lymphedema of the limbs, the stiffness should be always considered as well as the interface pressure. Using a stiffness-determining device, the stiffness was measured in single use and in several combinations of various kinds of elastic stockings and elastic bandages. The stiffness is changeable according to the combinations of material, such as double stockings, double bandages, and the wearing of bandages over stockings. The use of short-stretch bandages as the outside layer produces the highest stiffness at a high initial pressure. The highest stiffness was observed in double short-stretch bandages, and the lowest stiffness was shown by double short-stretch stockings. For appropriate selection of the combination, therefore, stiffness should be taken into account in addition to the interface pressure in consideration of their advantages and disadvantages.
