Analysis of healthy sitting behavior: interface pressure distribution and subcutaneous tissue oxygenation.
Pressure ulcers are a large problem in individuals who use a wheelchair for their mobility and have limited trunk stability and motor function. Because no relation between interface pressure and pressure ulcer development has been established and no clinical threshold for pressure ulcer development can be given, looking at the sitting behavior of nondisabled individuals is important. Nondisabled individuals do not develop pressure ulcers because they continuously shift posture. We analyzed the sitting behavior of 25 nondisabled male subjects by using a combination of interface pressure measurement and subcutaneous tissue oxygenation measurement by means of the Oxygen to See. These subjects shifted posture on average 7.8 +/- 5.2 times an hour. These posture shifts were merely a combination of posture shifts in the frontal and sagittal plane. Subcutaneous oxygen saturation increased on average 2.2% with each posture adjustment, indicating a positive effect of posture shifts on tissue viability. The results of this study can be used as a reference for seating interventions aimed at preventing pressure ulcers. Changing the sitting load at least every 8 minutes is recommended for wheelchair users.
Reenalda
Jasper
J
Roessingh Research and Development, Rehabilitation Centre het Roessingh, Postbus 310, 7500 AH Enschede, the Netherlands. j.reenalda@rrd.nl
Van Geffen
Paul
P
Nederhand
Marc
M
Jannink
Michiel
M
IJzerman
Maarten
M
Rietman
Hans
H
D000328:Adult; D001785:Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous; D002081:Buttocks / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult