Simulation of the interaction between a wheelchair cushion and the user’s buttock-thigh tissue using finite element method

Abstract

This research aims to quantify the impact of wheelchair cushions on
improving comfort and prevent of pressure ulcers for patients with
paraplegia or wheelchair users. By simulating the interaction between
buttock-thigh tissue and the seat wheelchair cushion to identify
factors that cause pressure ulcers such as pressure distribution at the
interface of buttock-thigh/seat wheelchair cushion, stress on the
buttock-thigh tissue, friction and shear stress at the contact surface
between the buttock-thigh and the sitting position. In this study, a
wheelchair cushion will be used to evaluate by the finite element
method for the 3-dimensional biomechanical model, with the
numerical simulation performed by Abaqus® software. The results
obtained in the study will be compared with previous studies in the
literature to evaluate the role of seat wheelchair cushion in the
prevention of pressure ulcers, contributing to the improvement of the
quality of life for wheelchair patients.