Quantitative elucidation of mechanical factors that cause vascular occlusion in soft tissues and the effect of mattresses on pressure ulcer prevention

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K06058
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Materials/Mechanics of materials
• Research Institution: Kyushu Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Hiroshi 九州工業大学, 大学院生命体工学研究科, 教授 (00220400)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田中 マキ子 山口県立大学, 看護栄養学部, 教授 (80227173) ; 森田 康之 熊本大学, 大学院先端科学研究部(工), 教授 (90380534)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 皮下組織 / 静脈 / 閉塞 / 有限要素解析 / マットレス / ゲル素材 / ずれ抵抗 / 超弾性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When pressure or shear displacement was applied to the skin surface of the forearm of men in their twenties, the vein in the subcutaneous tissue was easily occluded by the compression, but was hardly deformed by the shear displacement. Microscopic observation revealed that the subcutaneous tissue of porcine hind foot consist of adipose tissue and sheet-like connective tissue. Easy displacement in the tangential direction in the subcutaneous tissue was considered to be due to the intra-structure of tissue. Applying the compression and subsequent shear to three mats with a gel layer, the resistance to displacement did not depend much on the amount of compression but on the gel layer with a difference of less than two times.

Free Research Field

機械工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

褥瘡は軟部組織の持続的な圧迫によって，組織内の微小な血管の網が閉塞し，血流が停滞して発症するが，ずれの影響も指摘されている．本研究では被験者とブタ後足（食肉）に対する測定・観察を行い，圧迫の影響と比べるとともに，微視的な組織構造と関連付けて，皮下組織はずれ抵抗が小さい特徴を持っていることを示した．また，軟部組織へのずれの影響の低減に効果的とされるゲル層付マットについて基礎的な変形特性を調べ，ずれに対する抵抗を数値で示し，比較できるようにした．