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What parts of the body are most likely to develop pressure sores?

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Transcript More videos by Mary Zeigler More videos on this topic

When you’re sitting, you sit on two bones; in the center part of each buttock, and little bit lower are called the ischial tuberosity, sometimes we refer to these as “cheekbones,” but not facial cheekbones. We sit directly on these two bones when we’re sitting with erect posture. When we’re laying down flat in bed, we’re not putting any pressure on these two Ischial tuberosities; we’re putting all of our pressure on an area where the gluteal crease is located. So, in the center, in between your buttocks, that area is what receives the pressure when we lay down. So if a patient has a sore on that part of their body, which is called the sacrum, in the center in between the buttocks, they cannot lay on their back in bed. But they can sit for a limited amount of time in a wheelchair, because the pressure is going to a different area, the two ischial tuberosities. Any bony prominence, such as the hip bone, the heel, the ankle, the knee, the side of the knee, the shoulder blade, the back of the head. However a pressure ulcer can develop anywhere on the body. For example, underneath a cast, underneath a brace, some of the braces for spinal stabilization are a chin piece, so you may have some rubbing, or what we call friction, and a little pressure under the chin, so you may develop a pressure sore in that area.

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FacingDisability.com is an informational and support website for families facing spinal cord injuries. The website does not provide medical advice, recommend or endorse health care products or services, or control the information found on external websites. The Hill Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) private operating foundation established by Robert Hill and Thea Flaum.

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FacingDisability.com is an informational and support website for families facing spinal cord injuries. The website does not provide medical advice, recommend or endorse health care products or services, or control the information found on external websites. The Hill Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) private operating foundation established by Robert Hill and Thea Flaum.

737 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1560 , Chicago, IL 60611.

© 2011 – 2024 Hill Foundation for Families Living With Disabilities

Photography by Rona Talcott