Inelastic Bandages Research Articles

Simultaneous Changes of Leg Circumference and Interface Pressure Under Different Compression Bandages

To assess the validity of measuring changes of sub bandage pressure and leg circumference in different body positions for an in vivo characterization of the elastic properties of bandage systems. Experimental study. Different compression bandages were applied on the leg. The variations of interface pressure and leg circumference above the inner ankle (that depends on the elastic property of the bandage) were measured simultaneously by a pressure transducer and by strain-gauge plethysmography in 50 patients. Stiffness is defined as the increase of pressure per increase of circumference. The most consistent parameter to differentiate elastic from inelastic bandages was the pressure-difference between the standing and the lying position corrected for the actual increase of leg circumference (modified static stiffness index, mSSI; sensitivity and specificity 100%). Neglecting the individual changes of the circumference and considering the pressure difference alone allows a differentiation which is slightly less accurate (sensitivity 100%, specificity 88%) but much simpler to use. The static stiffness index is a useful tool to differentiate elastic from inelastic bandage material even without correction for the individual increase of leg circumference.

Ecoescleroterapia com microespuma em varizes tronculares primárias

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o tratamento de varizes tronculares primárias por ecoescleroterapia com microespuma. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi constituída de 25 membros de seis pacientes do sexo masculino e 19 do sexo feminino, com incompetência das veias safenas magna (21 membros) ou parva (quatro membros). Eles foram avaliados de acordo com a classificação clínica, etiológica, anatômica e fisiopatológica (CEAP) e classificados nos graus C³ (10 membros), C4 (seis membros), C5 (cinco membros) e C6 (quatro membros). A microespuma (5 ml), preparada pela mistura de 1 ml de polidocanol a 3% e 5 ml de ar, era injetada na veia do paciente, em posição de Trendelenburg, com monitoração por ultra-sonografia com Doppler colorido. Os membros eram enfaixados com atadura inelástica por 3 dias; depois disso, os pacientes usavam meias elásticas, 30-40 mmHg, 3/4 ou 7/8, durante 3 meses. A eficiência do tratamento foi avaliada pelo escore clínico da classificação CEAP para dor, edema e claudicação e pelas alterações ultra-sonográficas 12 meses depois. Os escores clínicos antes e depois do tratamento foram comparados pelo teste de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: Houve diminuição significante nos escores clínicos (P < 0,05) e sucesso terapêutico, com oclusão total e recanalização parcial sem refluxo, em 84% dos casos. Do total, 16% dos casos apresentaram recanalização parcial, com refluxo, ou recanalização completa. CONCLUSÃO: A ecoescleroterapia, método simples, de baixo custo, que dispensa internação e anestesia, mostrou ser promissora no tratamento de varizes tronculares primárias.

Compression therapy in the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis

Especially in Europe patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the leg are treated with compression therapy. A look at the literature, however, reveals that the exact mechanism of compression therapy in the treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis is not completely understood. Effects on fibrinolysis, resolution of pain and swelling as well as a fixation of the thrombus towards the vessel wall have been discussed. The literature indicates that compression stockings were mostly used in the treatment of DVT although there is some evidence that inelastic compression bandages have a greater impact on resolution of swelling and pain. Large randomised multicenter trials are still not available. Furthermore, evidence-based data providing an advantage of thigh-length compression therapy in the treatment of acute DVT are lacking. Studies have, however, shown that compression therapy is a safe therapy and can reduce the development of postthrombotic syndrome after acute DVT.

4 layer elastic bandages were more cost effective than multilayer inelastic bandages for healing venous leg ulcers

4 layer elastic bandages were more cost effective than multilayer inelastic bandages for healing venous leg ulcers

A Comparison of Multilayer Bandage Systems During Rest, Exercise, and Over 2 Days of Wear Time

To study the interface pressure between the leg and 8 different multilayer bandage systems during postural changes, exercise (walking), and over 2 days of wear time. Comparison of 8 different compression bandages under standardized conditions. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. A series of 10 healthy volunteers, 5 females and 5 males, aged 26 to 65 years. An electropneumatic device was used to measure interface pressure at 12 points of the leg. (1) Pressure changes from the standing to the sitting and supine position at rest, (2) pressure amplitude during exercise (200-m treadmill walk at 3.2 m/s, 0 degrees incline), and (3) pressure decrease over 2 days of wear time. Results are given as median with the 10% to 90% confidence intervals. Multilayer bandages of short and medium stretch showed a larger pressure decrease when the patient was supine (eg, 3 short stretch bandages: 18.0 mm Hg [reference range, 15.5-19.5 mm Hg]) than systems of medium and long stretch bandages (eg, 4-layer bandage, 6.0 mm Hg [reference range, 4.5-7.0 mm Hg]) (P=.005). The amplitude of pressure waves during exercise was comparable among most multilayer bandage systems. The pressure loss over time was the smallest in elastic bandages (eg, 4-layer bandage, 6.0 mm Hg [reference range, 0.0-10.5 mm Hg]), compared with short stretch bandages (eg, 3 short stretch bandages, 18.0 mm Hg [reference range, 16.5-20.5 mm Hg]) (P=.005). Highly elastic multilayer bandage systems showed the smallest pressure loss over several days, but the small pressure decrease when the patient was supine makes them potentially hazardous to patients with arterial occlusive disease. Short stretch bandages and the Unna boot with an inelastic zinc plaster bandage generate large pressure waves while walking and showed a marked pressure decrease when the patient was supine, but they lose a lot of their pressure within the first hours of wear. Multilayer systems composed of short stretch and cohesive medium stretch bandages represent a good compromise between elastic and inelastic bandage systems (moderate pressure loss over time, large pressure decrease on lying down). The clinical effectiveness of the different types of compression still remains to be studied.

Treatment of leg ulcers.

A system of treatment of venous leg ulcers by leg elevation, dry gauze dressings and inelastic bandage boots is compared with regimens in which a series of elastic bandage boots are applied to squeeze oedema from swollen ulcerated legs.