Effects and Characteristics of Cushion Covering Membranes

Summary

The present paper reports a portion of a rather comprehensive study of the transmission of forces to the human body through pads of various types and specifications (Chow, 1974). The basic objective of such pads is, of course, to impart the necessary forces without causing damage to the human tissue. Problems commonly arise in the case of handicapped individuals who are unable to shift their bodies so as to alter the force distribution with sufficient frequency to prevent tissue damage in the form of decubitus ulcers. Although the force transmission problem was considered in a general and fundamental way, particular attention was given to the special case of transmitting body weight to a seat cushion.

An important phase of this general study was the investigation of the effects and characteristics of membranes which are usually interposed between the body of a resilient pad and the human skin (as pad covers, clothing, etc.) The characteristics of these membranes profoundly influence the stresses and strains within the loaded portion of the anatomy.