Quantitative assessment of relationship between pressure performances and material mechanical properties of medical graduated compression stockings

Graduated compression stockings (GCSs) have been widely applied for prophylaxis and treatment of venous disorders. Their pressure performances and medical functions depend largely upon the mechanical properties of stocking knitted fabrics. In the present study, the multiple fabric mechanical behaviors of GCSs with different pressure levels and medical functions were examined by using Kawabata standard evaluation system. On the basis of pressure ranges advised by the European Committee for Standardization, the definitive quantitative relationships between pressure performances and key mechanical properties of GCS fabrics were developed and evaluated. The results show that GCS fabrics with different pressure performances produced significant differences in tensile, shearing, and bending properties (P < 0.001). GCS fabrics generating lighter pressure possessed higher values in tensile strain, tensile energy at a given force, and lower values in shearing stiffness and bending rigidity, while stronger pressure levels are produced by the GCS fabrics with higher resistance to the mechanical deformations. Pressure magnitude performances of GCSs are an integrative action performed by multiple fabric mechanical properties. The developed relationships between pressure levels and material mechanical properties provide a rational and practical approach for assessing and predicting pressure functional performances of GCSs. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.