3D Spacer Fabric Structure for the Prevention and Care of Pressure Ulcers

Many pressure wound protection products, such as pressure redistribution supports and exuding wound dressings, are made of polyurethane sponge. However, polyurethane sponge does not possess a desirable combination of air permeability, moisture management and mechanical properties required by pressure redistribution supports and exuding wound dressings. This study explores the optimization of a 3D warp-knitted spacer fabric (WKSF) structure for pressure ulcer protection. The influence of construction and material parameters on the compression performance and air permeability of WKSFs was investigated by numerical simulation and then validated with experiments. The moisture transport and wetting properties of WKSFs were characterized by a moisture management tester. The numerical simulation and experimental results indicate that the WKSF structure can be tuned to achieve compressional properties, air permeability, and moisture management performance that are more suitable for pressure ulcer protection than polyurethane sponge. WKSFs constructed with a low-density surface layer, coarser spacer yarns, and larger spacer yarn inclination-angle are more suitable for pressure redistribution support surfaces, while WKSFs constructed with dense surface layers and coarse spacer yarn can better meet the performance requirements of exuding wound dressings.