A three-dimensional biomechanical model for prediction of garment pressure in pressure therapy for burn patients

Abstract

Compression garments produce a pressure to suppress and flatten hypertrophic scars caused by serious burns, and its value plays a critical role in the treatment. In this study, a 3-D biomechanical mathematical model is established to study numerically the pressure distribution over the arm given by a compression sleeve. The actual geometry of a female arm is used in our study, which is obtained from a 3-D reconstruction of computer X-ray tomography images. The arm model consists of bones and soft tissues, and the sleeve is described by an orthotropic shell model. The finite element method is adopted to predict the pres-sure distribution, which is then experimentally verified in a good agreement, providing a good understanding of the mechanism of pressure action on hypertrophic scars, and enhancing the medical function of a compression garment. The present method offers also a new approach to optimal design of compression garments with real constraints.