title: Development of separated elastic stockings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the acceptability of newly developed separated elastic stockings, which are divided into two portions at the ankle.
  
  
  METHODS
  The difficulty in putting on and taking off stockings was compared between the original or modified separated stockings with various techniques in order to reduce the shift of the stockings and current non-separated stockings in healthy volunteers and patients with lymphoedema by applying both stockings alternately. In the modified model, the shift during daily activities was measured in healthy volunteers and patients with lymphoedema.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two items, 'easier compared with non-separated stockings' and 'much easier', were chosen at rates of 75% and 81% for putting on and taking off stockings for the original separated stockings and 75% and 75% for the modified separated stockings, respectively. Complaints during daily activities with the modified type to the stockings decreased as compared with the original type. The shift of stockings after an average 11-hour application was 1.6 ± 3.0 SD mm (range: 0-10 mm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Modified separated elastic stockings are easier to put on and take off compared with current non-separated stockings, and they can be used safely because of their low-level shift during daily activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, Tohkai Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. hiraimh@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004487:Edema / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053828:Stockings, Compression; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*