Combined experimental and numerical approach for the assessment of pressure generated by elastic compression bandage

Abstract

Elastic compression bandage is a common treatment for venous or lymphatic disorders. Even though the efficacy of this treatment is admitted, its mechanism remains poorly understood. The success of the treatment depends on the applied pressure, which depends on the bandage tension and the curvature of the limb (Laplace’s Law), the number of layers of the bandage, its components (padding layer, crepe …) and elastic properties, and the interactions between bandages and leg. To better understand the action of compression bandage, many interface pressure measurements have been done, but those measurements only give local information and for now, the whole pressure distribution on the leg is not known. Also, due to complex leg curvature and to bandage-leg and bandage-bandage interactions, the Laplace’s law is not sufficient to give a fine description of the pressure fields. Some simulations of the leg compression exist. Most of them are modeling the action of a compression sock on a leg [1][2], whose mechanical properties are more or less complex [3]. As far as we know, the simulation of bandage application on the leg has never been done yet. The aim of this communication is to present a first numerical model of the action mechanisms of bandages onto the skin developed through an experimental-numerical approach. A subject-specific FE model of bandage application is developed and compared with experimental measurements on two subjects.