What are the characteristics of medical textile bandages

Textile-based compression PE wrinkle free shirt tape materials include elastic bandages, stockings, and garments that are designed to exert external pressure to the human body. The main product performance is the force-elongation behavior, which is related to the fabric structure, yarn composition, and fiber type. For elastic compression materials, the textile structures are stretched during application, and the resulting tension creates a compression pressure on the underlying body. During wear, the compression materials alternate between static and operating pressure according to the patient movements.In addition to the force-elongation behavior, elasticity is an important property for compression materials, and is closely related to fatigue of the compression materials during use. Elasticity characterizes a materials ability to elongate under the impact of a tension force and return all or part to its original dimension when the tension is released.

Based on their elastic properties, bandages are broadly divided into two groups, rigid or nonelastic and elastic types, with the latter further divided into short stretch medium stretch and long stretch according to the type of elastomers used for making the product. An example of a rigid or inextensible bandage is the zinc oxide bandage conceived by the dermatologist Paul.Other types of inextensible bandages are usually made of cotton blended with per cent polyamide fibers. For short-stretch bandages, the elasticity is about per cent, which is required to obtain appropriate working pressure on the body while at the same time avoiding the disadvantages of a completely rigid bandage, such as the difficulty of applying the bandage and keeping it in place over time. For medium- and long-stretch bandages, a distinction should be made between one-way or two-way stretch bandages according to the direction of stretch.

A high level of elasticity is achieved by using natural or synthetic elastic threads of various types, such as natural rubber, polyamide nylon, and elastane, in combination with traditional fibers such as cotton. Since the middle of the twentieth century synthetic rubbers have replaced natural rubber in the manufacture of elastic threads, while polyamide fibers such as nylon 6, nylon 66, and nylon are also widely used, thanks to their ability to offer a high resistance to traction, solvents, and other ingredients associated with elastic bandages.During actual use, bandages lose about 40 per cent of their original pressure after, due to the volume reduction of the bandaged limb and the relaxation of the bandage structure. In this respect, elasticity of the bandage is important in order to maintain a sustained pressure after the removal of a deforming force.

Because of the movement of body parts, the working pressures are intermittently elevated in accordance with muscle contraction, while the resting pressures are usually lower than working pressures. Highly elastic fibers such as polyurethane-based elastic materials offer outstandingly good performance characteristics in the development of elastic bandages and stockings. For example, Lycra fibers, which contain at least 85 per cent polyurethane by mass, are on the market in both monofilament and multifilament form, with the former used in bandages while the latter are employed in the stocking sector. These elastic threads can be stretched sevenfold and still be able to return to their original sizes.In addition to the physical and mechanical properties, ecological safety and good wear comfort are important for patient acceptance and the desired success of therapy. In practice, compression bandages made of a large variety of materials are applied on patients in many different clinical circumstances, and a careful selection of appropriate products is needed before the application of bandages or stockings on patients.