A pilot study of the reaction forces at the heel during walking with the application of four different wound dressings.

A laboratory investigation was conducted to ascertain the shock-absorbing properties of four wound dressings applied to the heel area of a convenience sample of volunteers. Four subjects walked across a force plate. Data were recorded for each subject barefoot, and then while the subject had a wound care dressing stuck to the plantar aspect of their heel. Eight trials were undertaken in the five different conditions resulting in 40 trials per subject. The results suggest that one dressing, Allevyn (Smith and Nephew Healthcare Ltd, Hull, UK), when compared to other dressing materials, exhibits similar reaction forces to the normal barefoot walking data for all subjects. However, results from the anterior posterior force show no major differences across the dressings when compared to barefoot walking. Wound care dressings that have an inherent shock-attenuating property may be advantageous when dealing with areas of the foot that come under excessive force.