Answers for Skin breakdown due to suspension sleeve

Malena Rapaport

Description

Title:

Answers for Skin breakdown due to suspension sleeve

Creator:

Malena Rapaport

Date:

5/21/2019

Text:

Thank you everyone for some insight into possible solutions. Here are some take-a-ways from the many emails responses.


* Using Liner Liner Socks
* Glide Wear
* If using TPE, the patient can apply mineral oil, just over the patella
* If using silicone, the patient can apply liquid silicone over patella or Mobistat anti-chafing gel powder
* If PU liners, the patient can apply Aveeno non-scented lotion
* Other creams/lubricants to use over the patella:
* Barriere skin cream from Wellspring medical
* Alps Silicone cream
* Vaseline
* baby powder
* A&D ointment (the stuff without the zinc)
* Using prefexed sleeves (OttoBock pre flexed sleeve, Aegis preflexed and Ossur corrugated)
* If patient is compliant, we make sure the patient dons the liner initially with an extended knee, and when the liner is just distal to the patella, have the patient flex their knee to about a 45* angle, and roll the liner the rest of the way up. Same procedure for the sleeve. This will help to reduce the traction over patella as there is more material over the patella and less stretch of the liner/sleeve during knee flexion moments. Consequently, we have seen this help reduce bunching of the liner/sleeve in the popliteal area while sitting.
* Pre-break in these liners by putting them over a cast and heating the kneecap area
* Don't let them pull at all on the sleeve when donning. Instead make sure they only slide it up and that's best when standing if possible.
* I recently had a group of patients this happened with as well. My only common denominator was my liner style. All of them had liners with continuous fabric across the anterior. For 75% approximately, when this switched to a two panel anterior fabric with a two way stretch material across the knee their patella issues were either eliminated or decreased. Their sleeve styles were not changed.

Hope this is helpful! Thank you everyone for your answers!
--
Malena Rapaport
Certified Prosthetist

Barber Prosthetics Clinic
540 SE Marine Drive
Vancouver, BC V5X 2T4
P: 604-321-1115
F: 604-321-7681
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Citation

Malena Rapaport, “Answers for Skin breakdown due to suspension sleeve,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/209576.