ABSTRACT
Seat cushions have been used commercially to promote better comfort in furniture designs and in travel vehicles. This chapter examines the use of seat cushions as preventive devices against pressure sores. Seat cushions are currently the most popular and highly researched method for pressure sore prevention of the spinal cord injured. Researchers have tried several different material types for seat cushion design. Most materials are chosen for their ability to ultimately reduce pressures near bony prominences using simple principles of elasticity and Pascal’s law. Every material has particular characteristics that create different patient seating environments. The particle-filled cushion (PFC) is a bean bag type cushion and is also generalized as the bucket seat cushion. A typical PFC is made from an airtight flexible bag containing small polystyrene beads. Much research has been devoted toward the design of seat cushions in the attempt to improve old methods of construction.
