Comparison of structural specifications and elastic properties of Iranian medical bandages

Bandages are a class of medical textiles accessible in different types for various applications such as wound dressing, compression therapy, burn treatment, muscle cramps and sprains. In the present research, the structural characteristics and elastic properties of variety of medical bandages produced by several Iranian companies have been compared. The results of this study indicate that different bandages commercially sold under the same category reveal non-identical structural and elastic properties, owing to difference in their constructional parameters. Therefore, compression bandages produced by different companies would exert various amount of pressure to the body under constant stretch. In addition, it was observed that warp-knitted compression bandages create higher pressure than woven samples, due to their higher stiffness (elastic modulus). Moreover, by increasing the weave/knit density as well as increasing the number of elastane yarns in the bandage structure, the stiffness of the bandage enhances, and as a result its ability to apply uniform pressure to the limb for a longer period of time increases. Although the elastic characteristics of most of the investigated bandages in this research are in the standard range, similar medical bandages produced under different trade names have different elastic properties, in a way that bandages with higher initial modulus possess higher tension ratio, and the ones with higher strain percentage have higher working extension. Consequently, the bandages of the same type and different trade names would demonstrate different performance and affect the treatment process.