In the United States alone, over 1.4 million individuals are dependent on wheelchairs. Added to this unfortunate situation is the secondary complication of pressure ulcer (PU) formation, common in chronic wheelchair users. The treatment of established PUs is often difficult and prolonged, dramatically increasing the morbidity of the wheelchair user and imposing a tremendous economic burden. Although the optimal treatment strategy is PU prevention, to date, no prevention strategies have proven effective. We have developed and tested, in normal subjects, an innovative seating system which undergoes automatic sitting posture change, which has proven to both significantly reduce paraspinal muscle activity and recreate the normal physiologic curvature of the spine. Furthermore, our novel device reliably prevents elevated and sustained pressure, maximizes soft tissue viability, and prevents heat accumulation, well-known major risk factors of PU formation. Thus, we propose to further refine and apply our innovative seating system for wheelchair use in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. The developed wheelchairs will undergo rigorous testing on SCI patients to determine whether this innovative device significantly decreases the major risk factors for PU formation. Furthermore, we will perform extensive testing to optimize user function, while maximizing safety ? ?
| Makhsous, Mohsen; Lin, Fang; Knaus, Evan et al. (2009) Promote pressure ulcer healing in individuals with spinal cord injury using an individualized cyclic pressure-relief protocol. Adv Skin Wound Care 22:514-21 |
| Lim, Dohyung; Lin, Fang; Hendrix, Ronald W et al. (2007) Evaluation of a new sitting concept designed for prevention of pressure ulcer on the buttock using finite element analysis. Med Biol Eng Comput 45:1079-84 |
| Makhsous, Mohsen; Priebe, Michael; Bankard, James et al. (2007) Measuring tissue perfusion during pressure relief maneuvers: insights into preventing pressure ulcers. J Spinal Cord Med 30:497-507 |
