Medical Applications — Shearing

The wool fibres and staples, held intact by the tanned skin, enable the Australian Medical Sheepskin to provide support while relieving pressure by distributing the load of a patient over a large area, minimizing interface pressures. The pressure distribution must be as uniform as possible with a highly deformable interface and a constant resistance to compression (1). The fibre density and length must be such that the patient does not 'bottom out' on the skin surface and create localized pressure increases. The following points support the claim for pressure relieving properties of sheepskins: At the simplest level, there is an...

Wool Pile The Secret to the Therapeutic Value of Sheepskin It is the wool fibres, each individually held intact by the tanned skin of the sheep, which contribute to the woolskin's value as a medical product. Interfaced between patient and bed, they reduce pressure, friction and moisture - the primary causes of pressure sores. Pressure sores are a result of tissue breakdown due to prolonged compression of tissue and the subsequent reduction of capillary blood flow in tissue between skeletal prominences and the body's external environment. The causes are pressure at susceptible sites, friction or shear forces at the point...