GB2479730A

GB2479730A - Garment formed of abrasion-resistant fibres to protect against skin tears

Info

Publication number: GB2479730A
Application number: GB1006479A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Thornton; Jemima Stilgoe; Nicolas Pitts
Original assignee: MIR CONCEPTS Ltd
Current assignee: MIR CONCEPTS Ltd
Priority date: 2010-04-19
Filing date: 2010-04-19
Publication date: 2011-10-26
Anticipated expiration: 2030-04-19
Also published as: WO2011131932A1; GB201006479D0; GB2479730B

Abstract

A garment 2, suitable for use by a person to provide protection against skin tears, comprises a generally tubular fabric sleeve having an opening 4, 6 at each end. The sleeve 2 has a central protective portion 8, the fabric of which is formed of abrasion-resistant fibres, with respective end portions 10, 12 formed of a woven acrylic fabric. The end portions 10, 12 may be elasticated. The abrasion-resistant material may comprise metal or glass fibres, fibres of aromatic polyesters, or aramid fibres. The garment 2 may be worn around the lower arm or lower leg. Alternatively, the garment 2 may also be a sock.

Description

I

GARMENT AND USE THEREOF

The present invention relates to a garment, in particular to a garment to be worn by a person on a limb, in particular an arm or a leg. The present invention is especially concerned with a garment that provides protection for the wearer against skin tears.

As a person ages, the composition and structure of the skin of the subject can change, in particular leading to the skin becoming thinner, wrinkled, fragile and dry, in turn leading to an overall weakening of the skin. As a result, elderly persons can be susceptible to the skin becoming fragile, resulting in the skin being susceptible to tearing, causing a wound. The skin on the extremities of elderly persons is particularly fragile and vulnerable, especially the skin on the arms and legs. The lower arms and legs of elderly people can be especially vulnerable to skin tears. The occurrence of fragile skin can be exacerbated by chronic exposure to sunlight. In addition, the long term use of topical or oral steroids can result in the person developing fragile skin which is susceptible to skin tears as a result of even very minor impacts, collisions or abrasions.

It is estimated that between 300,000 and I million people in the United Kingdom suffer from fragile skin. It is further estimated that there may be as many as 6 million people in the United States suffering from fragile skin. It is very common that the lacerations and wounds experienced by sufferers of fragile skin are slow to heal and difficult to treat. In many cases, the lacerations and wounds become ulcerated, in turn increasing significantly the time taken for the wounds to heal and the time and cost of treatment.

The nature of skin tears and their occurrences are summarised in Skin Tears: * * 30 A literature review', Morey, P., Primary Intention, Vol. 15, No. 3, August 2007, pages 122 to 129. Morey, P. describes the common causes of skin tears, and indicate that * common causes include knocks, transferring out of beds andIor chairs, falls, bathing, dressing, putting on or taking off garments, in particular stockings, the use of ** * * . * * ** ** * * * * * ** restraints, removal of tapes, dressings and the like, taking blood. Skin tears can also be caused by wearing jewellery and watches.

Payne R. et al., The epidemiology and management of skin tears in older adults', Ostomy/Wound Management, 1990, 26, pages 26 to 37, propose a classification system for skin tears, which includes an identification of the type of skin tear on the basis of the appearance of the skin and the degree of tissue loss at the injury site. Skin tears can result in the total loss of tissue at the injury site and/or can result in the skin being partially removed and remaining as a flap.

Morey, P. further describes the common approaches to treating skin tears. A wide range of dressing types have been employed in treating skin tears, together with other treatments, such as skin closure strips, paraffin gauze, low or non-adherent dry dressings, films (in particular polyurethane films), hydrogels, hydrocolloids, calcium alginates, foams, composite dressings, hydrofibres, soft silicone net, and soft silicone foam.

Morey P. comments that many authors promote moist wound healing principles and protection of the wound and surround skin from further trauma.

However, there is no disclosure of measures that can be taken to prevent skin tears occurring.

There is therefore a need for a means to prevent skin tears occurring, in particular a means for protecting the skin of the person, especially in the most vulnerable regions of the body.

Protective garments for the limbs of persons are known. For example, WO 2005/053445 discloses a protective garment for the lower part of the leg, in * * S... . . . . particular a sock, for protecting the wearer against chemical and/or biological harmful * 30 substances. The garment comprises an outer leg part and a laminate arranged within the outer leg part. The laminate comprises a flexible, windtight, water-S...

* repellent membrane on the outer leg side, a carbon layer disposed underneath the *5S membrane, and an inner textile layer. An inner leg part may be provided within the laminate, if desired. * .* * . * . S **

US2009/112143 is concerned with a protective skin cover. The protective cover comprises three layers. An inner layer substantially surrounds the area of the skin to be protected and is formed from a soft, non-abrasive fabric. A middle layer comprising padding to protect the area from impacts with foreign objects is disposed outside the inner layer. An outer layer is provided around the middle layer and is formed from a durable, flexible material, such as nylon. The outer layer serves to protect the middle layer and the area of skin being covered. The outer layer further provides the cover with protection from wear and tear.

Many protective garments, in particular garments for wearing on feet or legs, are provided for use in sporting activities. For example, WO 2006/015883 discloses a protective sports sock. The sock has a first portion for covering the foot and ankle of the wearer. A second portion extends from the first portion and is provided with a protective element to cover the shin of the wearer. The protective element is preferably integrally formed with the second portion of the sock and may comprise a protective coating and/or protective strips.

EP 1897456 discloses a protective sock for use when playing sports. The sock comprises a toe region, an ankle region for surrounding the foot and leg of the user in the region of the ankle, and an Achilles tendon region to surround the region of the rear of the leg above the heel. The sock further includes protective pads moulded into the sock fabric, to protect the ankle region and Achilles tendon of the wearer.

CA 1321857 is concerned with a sock for athletes, in particular with a sock for use by ice hockey players. The sock is formed from a woven flexible fabric comprising both aramid and metallic yarns resistant to cutting by the blade of an ice-S...

skating boot. The sock extends from the foot of the wearer up the leg to above the **1**I * 30 knee. CA 1321857 discloses that the entire sock may be fabricated from woven aramid and metallic yarns. However, the preferred arrangement is to provide only *..

that portion of the sock covering the rear of the leg of the wearer with the aramid and metallic yarns. The particular problem addressed by CA 1321857 is that of * . protecting goal keepers in ice hockey. Protective padding is worn by goal keepers to S. S * . S S S. protect the front and sides of their body and legs. However, the rear of the legs of goal keepers are covered only by conventional fabric socks, leaving them vulnerable to injury by cuts and abrasions from the blades of the skates of other players. As a result, CA 1321857 specifically proposes providing the rear portion of the sock with protective aramid and metal fibres. This arrangement protects to the otherwise unprotected and vulnerable rear portions of the legs of the goal keeper. In addition, should the player be injured and the sock require removal, it is a simple matter to cut the sock along the front portion, without the need to cut through the aramid and metal yarns.

While a variety of protective garments, in particular protective socks are known, as described above, none are suitable for use by sufferers of skin tears.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved garment to offer protection for users, in particular elderly people, from injuries liable to cause skin tears. As skin tears can result from even very minor impacts, collisions or abrasions, the garment must be capable of being worn for extended periods of time by the user. Accordingly, the garment should preferably be of simple construction, easy to put on and remove, and be comfortable for the user to wear for extended periods of time. In particular, the garment should not significantly impair or prevent the user from carrying out common daily activities.

According to the present invention, there is provided a garment for use by a person to provide protection against skin tears, the garment comprising a generally tubular fabric sleeve to be worn on a limb of the person, the sleeve comprising a protective portion for protecting the skin underlying the protective portion when the garment is in use, the fabric of the protective portion of the tubular sleeve comprising abrasion-resistant fibres sufficient to provide the skin of the person with protection from skin tears, the protective portion of the sleeve extending around the limb of the * **.

wearer when the garment is in use.

S..... * 30

*:** The garment of the present invention provides a fabric sleeve for protecting * fragile skin on the limbs of the user. The garment is formed from a flexible fabric that is both easy to put on and remove, and also comfortable to wear for extended * periods of time. At the same time, the use of abrasion-resistant fibres and yarns in * . * * . * *.

the garment provide the user with protection against impacts, collisions and abrasions, in turn preventing skin tears in the fragile skin of the limb covered by the garment.

The garment comprises a generally tubular sleeve. The sleeve is worn by the user on a limb, in particular an arm or a leg. The tubular sleeve may be provided to extend partly or wholly along the length of the limb. As discussed above, fragile skin generally develops on the lower limbs of a sufferer, in particular the lower arms and legs. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the garment is of a size that, when worn, the sleeve extends to cover only the lower limb of the person.

The generally tubular sleeve of the garment is preferably formed to extend around the limb of the user. The sleeve may be provided with an opening extending longitudinally along the sleeve and provided with a releasable fastening, to allow the sleeve to be opened and applied around the limb of the user. Suitable releasable fastening means include a zip fastener, hook and loop fastening, buttons, studs, hooks and the like. More preferably, the sleeve is formed without a longitudinal opening, so as to extend continuously around the limb of the wearer.

The generally tubular sleeve of the garment comprises a protective portion.

The protective portion comprises fibres of an abrasion-resistant material. In this respect, the term abrasion-resistant' is a reference to fibres of a material that provide increased resistance of the protective portion to damage from abrasion, cuts and the like. This in turn provides the skin of the user underlying the protective portion with protection from abrasion and cuts. The abrasion-resistant material should be of a nature and present in sufficient amounts to provide the aforementioned protection, without substantially impairing the flexibility and utility of the garment. In particular, the abrasion-resistant fibres should not render the fabric of the garment unacceptably still or inflexible, or uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time. S.... * 30

The abrasion-resistant materials may comprise any suitable material or S...

* combination of materials that provide the aforementioned protection for the skin of S. the user. The abrasion-resistant material is most preferably included in the garment * . as a yarn. In this way, the abrasion-resistant material may be woven to form the * .

S S S.

garment, providing a flexible fabric, either alone or in combination with other materials that offer little or no abrasion resistance, as discussed in more detail below.

Preferably, the abrasion resistant material comprises one or more of high molecular weight polymer yarns, in particular ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), metal fibres or yarns, in particular steel, glass fibres or yarns, and aramid fibres. Other abrasion resistant materials include liquid crystal polymers of aromatic polyesters, for example coated with polyurethane to improve abrasion-resistance. Such materials are known in the art and are commercially available.

The protective portion is preferably formed from a fabric comprising aramid fibres or yarns. Aramid fibres formed from aromatic polyamides are known in the art.

Suitable aramid fibres or yarns for use in forming the fabric of the sleeve of the garment of the present invention are commercially available. Examples of commercially available aramid fibre products are sold under the brands Nomex ®, Teijinconex ®, X-Fiper ®, New-Star ®, Kermel ®, Kevlar ®, Twaron ® and Tech nora ®.

Suitable ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres are commercially available and include Dyneema ® and Innegra S ®.

Suitable aromatic polyester fibres are available commercially, for example under the brand name Vectran ®.

Techniques for forming fabric from such abrasion-resistant fibres are also known in the art. In particular, the fabric of the sleeve comprising the abrasion-resistant fibres may be prepared by any suitable technique. Preferred techniques for forming the fabric are weaving or knitting. * * I.,

The abrasion-resistant fibres present in the protective portion of the sleeve of * ***** * 30 the garment are a protective material and provide the garment with resistance to cuts and abrasions, in turn protecting the skin of the limb of the user in the case of S...

impacts, collisions or abrasions, in turn preventing the skin from tearing. The protective portion of the sleeve may comprise a single type of abrasion-resistant

S * . S * S. S. S

S SS S 55

fibres, such as an aramid fibre, or may comprise a blend of two or more different abrasion-resistant materials, such as a blend of different aramid fibres.

The protective portion of the sleeve may consist of abrasion-resistant fibres.

Alternatively, the abrasion-resistant fibres may be present in a combination or blend with other fibres. In particular, the protective portion of the sleeve may also comprise the abrasion-resistant fibres in combination with fibres of one or more other materials, for exampfe synthetic fibres such as acrylic fibres, nylon, and the like.

Natural fibres, such as cotton and the like, may also be employed. Such other materials may be included in the protective portion of the sleeve to provide the desired properties of the sleeve, such as flexibility, elasticity and comfort. Such other materials are generally considered to be non-protective in respect of the garment of the present invention, that is provide little resistance to abrasion and little or no protection to the underlying skin when the garment is in use.

As noted above, in one embodiment of the garment of the present invention, the fabric of the protective portion of the sleeve is 100% abrasion-resistant fibres, either a single abrasion-resistant material or a blend of different abrasion-resistant materials.

For example, the protective portion may comprise aramid fibres either alone or in combination with another abrasion-resistant material. In one embodiment, the protective portion comprises a abrasion-resistant material consisting of aramid fibres.

If another abrasion-resistant material is present, it may be present together with the aramid fibres in an amount of from 1 to 50% by weight of the protective layer, more preferably from 5 to 25% by weight, still more preferably from 10 to 20% by weight of the protective portion. * **

hI: As noted above, the protective portion may consist of the abrasion-resistant *..*.

* 30 material. Alternatively, another material may be present, such as one or natural or synthetic, generally non-abrasion-resistant materials. If another material is included e...

* in the protective portion of the sleeve, it may be present in an amount of from Ito 50% by weight of the protective layer, more preferably from 5 to 25% by weight, still more preferably from 10 to 20% by weight of the protective portion. S. S * * *P

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the protective portion is formed entirely from abrasion-resistant materials, in particular ararnid fibres.

The abrasion-resistant fibres present in the protective layer may have any suitable thickness or gauge, provided that the required level of protection to the underlying fragile skin is provided when the garment is being worn. Suitable gauges for the fibres are up to 500 denier, more preferably up to 300 denier, still more preferably up to 150 denier. Fibres having a gauge of less than 100 denier are preferred in order to provide improved flexibility of the fabric. To provide the necessary resistance to cuts and abrasion, the fibres preferably have a gauge of greater than 10 denier, more preferably greater than 20 denier, still more preferably greater than 30 denier. A gauge of 40 or greater is particularly preferred.

The protective portion of the sleeve may be formed with any suitable structure that provides the necessary protection to the underlying skin when the garment is being worn, while retaining the usability of the garment. In one embodiment, the protective portion of the sleeve is formed from a fabric with loops forming a pile on one or both sides of the fabric, in particular a terry pile fabric having uncut loops on both sides of the fabric. The outer and inner surface of the protective portion may be provided with any suitable structure or patterning. In one embodiment, the protective portion is provided with ribs on its outer surface. Suitable weaving or knitting techniques for preparing a ribbed fabric are known in the art.

In one embodiment, the protective portion is formed from a single layer. This structure has the advantage of being easy to manufacture. Alternatively and more preferably, the protective portion of the sleeve is formed from a plurality of layers of fabric. In such embodiments, each layer of fabric may comprise abrasion-resistant fibres. Alternatively, abrasion-resistant fibres may be present in only some of the * 30 plurality of layers. If the latter arrangement is used, the abrasion-resistant fibres are preferably present in the layers that are not in contact with the skin of the user when frS r.

* the garment is in use, the layer of the protective portion in contact with the skin being substantially free from abrasion-resistant fibres. In one preferred arrangement, the * protective portion of the sleeve comprises three or more layers of fabric, with both the S. S * S. ** innermost and outermost layers being substantially free of abrasion-resistant fibres, the abrasion-resistant fibres being present in the internal layers of the protective portion.

In one embodiment of the garment of the present invention, the protective portion of the sleeve is formed with a plurality of layers having a so-called sandwich terry' construction. In this arrangement, the fabric has an inner layer, an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer. In one preferred arrangement, the outer layer comprises abrasion-resistant fibres having a first gauge and abrasion-resistant fibres having a second gauge are present in an intermediate layer, for example a single intermediate layer, the second gauge being lower than the first. For example, the first gauge may be from 50 to 100 denier, more preferably from 50 to 80, especially about 60; with the second gauge being from 20 to 80 denier, more preferably from 30 to 70, especially about 40. Abrasion-resistant fibres having a third gauge may be provided in the inner layer. If so, the third gauge is preferably lower than the second gauge, more preferably substantially the same as the first gauge. Ranges for the third gauge are from 50 to 100 denier, more preferably from 50 to 80, especially about 60 denier.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, the protective portion comprises a plurality of fabric layers, including an inner layer, an outer layer and at least one intermediate layer. The inner and outer layers are substantially free from abrasion-resistant fibres and are formed from a suitable non-protective material, such as acrylic fibres, nylon fibres and the like. Abrasion-resistant fibres are provided in an intermediate layer, for example in a single intermediate layer. The abrasion-resistant fibres may be provided in the intermediate layer in any suitable thickness.

Preferably, if abrasion-resistant fibres are only present in one or more intermediate * ..S ***,*. layers, the fibres have a gauge of from 60 to 200 denier, more preferably from 70 to 150, still more preferably from 80 to 120 denier. S...

The garment may consist of the generally tubular sleeve. Such a sleeve may be worn around the lower legs of the user, in particular extending partly or wholly * between the ankle and the knee of the leg of the user. Such a sleeve may also be worn on the arm of the user, in particular extending partly or wholly between the wrist and elbow of the user. If consisting of the sleeve, the garment will comprise two openings, one at each end of the sleeve. One, more preferably both of the openings is provided with a portion of the sleeve adjacent the opening that is elasticated. The or each elasticated portion may comprise abrasion-resistant fibres, as this may result in the manufacture of the garment being easier by avoiding the need to have a plurality of different portions of the garment of different compositions. In particular, the garment may then be prepared using substantially the same material composition for all portions. Alternatively, the or each elasticated portion is substantially free from abrasion-resistant fibres and is formed from non-protective materials, such as acrylic fibres, nylon fibres, cotton or the like. Suitable constructions and methods of forming the elasticated portions of the sleeve are well known in the art.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, the garment of the present invention is a generally tubular sleeve for wearing on an arm, in particular a lower arm between the wrist and elbow of the user. Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention provides a garment for wearing on the arm and for protecting fragile skin on the arm of the user from skin tears, the garment comprising a generally tubular sleeve having an opening at each end thereof, the sleeve comprising a protective portion for protecting the skin underlying the protective portion when the garment is in use, the fabric of the protective portion of the tubular sleeve comprising abrasion-resistant fibres sufficient to provide the skin of the person with protection from skin tears, the protective portion of the sleeve extending around the arm of the wearer when the garment is in use.

Details of the garment of this aspect of the present invention are as set out above.

As noted above, such a sleeve garment may also be worn on the legs of the user, in particular the lower legs. In this respect, the garment is particularly intended to protect pretibial injuries, that is injuries to the skin and tissue extending over the front portion of the tibia of the user. Injuries to this region are common in persons suffering from fragile skin and other similar conditions. Such injuries are particularly problematic, as they tend to heal only very slowly, as a result of low or poor blood supply to the tissue of the person. Such slow healing damage to the tissue significantly increases the risk of the injury becoming infected or ulcerated, in turn exacerbating the problem and prolonging the pain and discomfort to the person. The garment of the present invention therefore finds particular use and advantage in protecting the pretibial regions of users.

For protecting fragile skin on the legs of a user, the garment may be provided in the form of a sleeve for extending between the knee and the ankle or upper foot of the user, as noted above. Alternatively, the garment may be provided with a foot portion that extends over the foot of the user, when the garment is in use and being worn. The foot portion may extend over a part of the foot of the user, for example to cover the heel of the foot, while leaving the toes of the foot uncovered. More preferably, the garment is in the form of a sock, in which the foot portion extends completely over and encloses the foot of the user. The foot portion may form part of the protective portion of the garment, that is be provided with abrasion-resistant fibres to provide protection to the underlying skin when the garment is in use.

However, generally the tissue on the foot of a person suffering from fragile skin is not particularly vulnerable to damage and injury. More preferably, the foot portion is formed from a fabric of non-protective material, such as acrylic fibres, nylon fibres, cotton or the like. In this way, the form and materials of the foot portion of the garment may be optimised for comfort and ease of use.

If the foot portion is to extend only over a portion of the foot of the user when being worn, the foot portion will comprise an opening for accommodating the foot of the user. In such embodiments, the foot portion may be provided with an elasticated portion adjacent the opening, as hereinbefore described, although this generally will not be required to hold the garment in place. In the case the garment is a sock, the garment will comprise a single opening, and may be provided with an elasticated *.** ***** portion adjacent the opening, as hereinbefore described. For reasons of comfort and ease of use, the garment is preferably provided with a sock portion that covers the entire foot of the user. S... S...

* The foot portion may extend directly from one end of the protective portion.

Alternatively, the garment may have an elasticated portion of fabric interposed between the protective portion and the foot portion. The elasticated portion may be formed in conventional manner, as described above, and is preferably free from abrasion-resistant fibres.

The foot portion may be formed with any suitable structure and by any suitable method. In particular, similar to the protective portion, the foot portion may be formed by knitting or weaving.

In certain situations it is important to avoid having an elasticated portion of the garment extending around the lower leg of the user and/or their foot. For persons suffering from edema it is important to avoid applying pressure on or in the region of the leg of the subject immediately above the foot. In such cases, it is preferred to provide the garment in the form of a sleeve or a sock to partially cover the foot as described above, but without an elasticated portion at the end intended to be worn lowermost around the leg or over the foot.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a garment, preferably a sock, for protecting fragile skin on the leg of a person, the garment comprising a generally tubular fabric sleeve to be worn on the leg of the person, the sleeve comprising a protective portion for protecting the skin underlying the protective portion when the garment is in use, the fabric of the protective portion of the tubular sleeve comprising abrasion-resistant fibres sufficient to provide the skin of the person with protection from skin tears, the protective portion of the sleeve extending around the leg of the wearer when the garment is in use; the garment further comprising a foot portion extending from one end of the sleeve, in use the foot portion extending over at least a portion of, preferably the entire foot of the person.

As noted, the garment is preferably in the form of a sock, with the foot portion *S..

preferably enclosing the entire foot of the person when the garment is being worn.

The foot portion may contain abrasion-resistant fibres, but is preferably substantially free from abrasion-resistant fibres and is formed from a fabric of a non-protective *S..

material.

S *

In a further aspect, the present invention provides the use of a garment as hereinbefore described in protecting the skin of a person.

In still a further aspect, the present invention provides a method of protecting fragile skin on the limb of a person from skin tears, the method comprising providing a garment as hereinbefore described around at least a portion of the limb of the person.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a garment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, there is shown a garment, generally indicated as 2.

The garment 2 is in the form of a generally tubular sleeve having an opening 4, 6 at each end. The garment 2 has a central protective portion 8 and respective end portions 10, 12 adjacent each opening 4, 6. Each end portion 10, 12 is of a woven acrylic fibre fabric. Other fibres, such as nylon and the like, may also be used. Each end portion 10, 12 is elasticated in conventional manner. The central protective portion 8 is of a woven aramid fibre fabric. Other abrasion-resistant materials may be employed in similar manner. a..

In use, the garment 2 is worn on the forearm or lower leg of a person. The protective portion 8 serves to protect the underyling fragile skin from damage due to impacts, collisions or abrasions, in turn preventing the skin from tearing. The overall S.' : length of the garment and of the protective portion in particular may be selected to cover the portions of the arm or leg of the user that require protection. *1 * * SS * .* * * a S * * .*

In cases where the user must not have pressure applied around the ankle or lower leg, such as persons suffering from edema, the garment 2 shown in Figure 1 is modified. In particular the garment is modified to remove one elasticated portion 10 or 12. The thus modified garment is worn with the remaining elasticated portion uppermost on the leg of the user and away from the ankle and foot.

Referring to Figure 2, there is shown a sock, generally indicated as 102. The sock comprises a foot portion 104 for extending over and enclosing the foot of a person when the garment is being worn. The foot portion 104 is formed from a woven acrylic fibre fabric. The sock 102 further comprises a generally tubular sleeve having a protective portion 106 of a woven aramid fibre fabric. Other abrasion-resistant materials may be employed in a similar manner. An elasticated portion 108 is disposed between the foot portion 104 and the protective portion 106. The sock has an opening 110 and is provided with an elasticated end portion 112 adjacent thereto. Each elasticated portion 108 and 112 is of a woven acrylic fibre fabric and is formed in conventional manner.

In use, the sock 102 is worn in conventional manner, with the protective portion 106 extending over the lower leg of the user and protecting the underyling fragile skin from damage due to impacts, collisions or abrasions, in turn preventing the skin from tearing. The length of the protective portion may be varied, according to the needs of the user. As fragile skin is generally a feature of the lower legs, the sock is preferably of a length to allow the protective portion to extend between the ankle and the knee of the wearer. However, longer socks may be provided for more acute fragile skin conditions.

As noted above, for persons with conditions that do not allow pressure to be *S..

applied around the lower leg or ankle, such as edema, the elasticated portion 108 is omitted. S...

A sock as shown in Figure 2 and described above was tested by a male with fragile skin on his lower legs. As a result of the fragile skin condition, the male suffered from repeated tears in the skin of the lower leg arising from minor collisions and impacts that occur as part of everyday life and routine. The tears caused significant tissue damage and were difficult to treat and heal, in particular due to repeated collisions and impacts. In particular, the person typically suffered major lacerations and tears to the skin 4 to 5 times each year. Frequently the lacerations became ulcerated and required extensive treatment before healing.

Wearing the sock of the present invention significantly reduced the damage caused to the skin of the lower leg by minor collisions and impacts, significantly reducing the occurrence of tears in the skin and allowing the skin of the subject to heal properly. In particular, the person reduced the number of major lacerations and tears to just one incident in a 12 month period. This represents a reduction of at least 75% in the number of injuries. In addition, the severity of the single injury was significantly reduced compared to those occurring without the sock being worn. *..* * * *.. * * * a S... S. * * S* * S. S. * * S * 0 S*