Evaluation of the effect of trunk tilt on compressive soft tissue deformations under the ischial tuberosities using weight-bearing MRI.
BACKGROUND
Deep tissue injury is the new acceptable term for deep pressure ulcers. Deep tissue injury of the buttocks is typically caused by sustained soft tissue deformations under the ischial tuberosities. Wheelchair users are at high risk, and although usually laterally tilted, the effect of tilts on tissue deformations is unknown. This has brought us to investigate buttocks tissue compressive deformations between the ischial tuberosities and skin during sitting in various body tilts, utilizing weight-bearing Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


METHODS
Ten healthy volunteers underwent sitting MRI, in six postures including neutral with/without weight-bearing, 10 degrees and 20 degrees lateral-tilts, and 20 degrees and 40 degrees anterior tilts. Studies utilized a coronal T1-weighted sequence. Images were evaluated for thickness of tissues between the skin and the lowest point of the ischial tuberosity, of fat between the skin and the gluteus muscle and of muscle between the ischial tuberosity and fat. Measurements in weight-bearing positions were compared to the non-weight-bearing for calculation of compressive tissue deformations in each trunk tilt. Statistical analysis was obtained utilizing multiple pairwise t-tests with Bonferroni corrections.


RESULTS
Muscle and soft tissue compressive deformations, from highest to lowest, were 20 degrees -lateral-tilt (87%, 72%), lateral-10 degrees (85%, 70%), anterior-20 degrees (79%, 67%), anterior-40 degrees (74%, 64%), and neutral (72%, 59%). For the fat, highest was anterior-tilts (42%), followed by lateral-20 degrees -tilt (41%), lateral-10 degrees (39%) and neutral (35%).


CONCLUSIONS
For lateral tilts, the higher the angle was, the higher the compressive deformation was. However, the most profound change in compressive deformation occurred at the small angle tilts.
Shabshin
Nogah
N
Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine-Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ougortsin
Vlad
V
Zoizner
Gil
G
Gefen
Amit
A
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002081:Buttocks / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D019245:Compressive Strength; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007512:Ischium; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D013909:Thorax / Q000502:physiology*; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D014910:Wheelchairs