Catherine Adams
Alison Porter-Armstrong
May Stinson
Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster

An innovative seating system was designed for 4-12 year old children with special needs by a major paediatric seating manufacturer. The aim of the system is to support the child in a safe, stable and secure position in which they are comfortable and able to carry out their daily activities. As children will be spending long periods in this chair, it is necessary to investigate the pressure relieving properties of the seat base. The system is unique in that the seat base is not a standard shape. It has funnel shaped supports for the legs which can move forwards and outwards, depending on the age, posture and size of the child. Current pressure mapping mats would be inadequate for mapping this system. This study posed a methodological challenge in designing and using a custom mat and interface pressure measurement system for pressure mapping this novel seat.

Aim
To determine the pressure relieving properties of the seating system, examining pressures at the seating interface using a custom made mat.
Participants: A convenience sample of 20 healthy children aged 8 years.

Methods
Pressure mapping was conducted using an established pressure mapping system and a custom-made mat designed to fit the chair. Average and maximum pressures as well as pressure distribution were recorded over 8 minutes sitting time.

Results
This data collection is currently underway.

Conclusion
This study demonstrates the methodological challenges and problems involved in the use of current applications of technologies to evaluate innovative support systems for the management of pressure ulcers.