Direct measurement of cutaneous pressures generated by pressure garments.

Pressure garments are the mainstay of burn scar management despite limited scientific evidence. This study demonstrates a simple method of directly measuring the cutaneous pressures generated by a pressure garment. The results show pressure garments generate an increase in subdermal pressures in the range 9-90 mmHg depending on the anatomical site. Garments over soft sites generate pressures ranging from 9 to 33 mmHg. Over bony prominences the pressures range from 47 to 90 mmHg. This method is believed to be more representative of the pressures generated than the interpositional techniques that measure garment-skin interface pressure, as it avoids garment distortion, the interference effect of the measurement device (size, conformation, area) and directly measures subdermal pressures. The method should be useful for larger research projects on pressure therapy and also for clinical management of pressure garments in the treatment of hypertrophic scar.