Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2010 , Vol 56 , Num 2

New Therapeutic Interventions to Pressure Sores in Spinal Cord Injuries

Rıdvan Alaca 1
1 Gülhane Askeri Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Türk Silahlı Kuvvetleri Rehabilitasyon Merkezi, Ankara, Türkiye DOI : 10.4274/tftr.56.s89

Pressure sores can develop anytime in spinal cord injured patients and can be used as a quality indicator of patient care. These lesions are an important source of suffering for patients and their caregivers. They also extend the duration of rehabilitation process and eventually increase the costs. Although several treatment options for pressure sores have been promoted in the last two decades, they are significantly expensive. Besides, the effectiveness of these therapeutic approaches is unclear yet. Therefore, the prevention strategies including risk assessment, good patient care, positioning, education and using proper support surfaces must be considered. 

Keywords : Spinal cord injury, pressure ulcer, wound healing