Pressure distribution and skin temperature effect of the ROHO wheelchair balloon cushion

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the ROHO Balloon Wheelchair Cushion in distributing pressure on the skin over the ischial tuberosities in healthy subjects. Surface skin temperatures over the ischial tuberosities and thighs of the subjects were also measured. Pressure recordings were obtained by placing a pressure sensor between the wheelchair cushion and the skin overlying the ischial tuberosities. For comparison, pressures were recorded while the same subjects sat on a 4-inch foam cushion supported on a plywood board. Skin surface temperatures on the 2 cushions were recorded on separate occasions under the ischial tuberosity and the posterior thigh during a 30-minute test period. The results indicate no important difference in resting pressures when the subjects sat on either the 4-inch foam cushion or the balloon cushion. Neither was there an important difference in pressure when the cushion was inflated to greater than the manufacturer's recommendations or when it was covered with a commercially designed cover. The average increase in skin temperature over the tuberosity was 1.9C and over the thigh, 2.6C.