Areas where bedsores occur
Areas where bedsores occur
Bedsores, also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are a breakdown and ulceration of tissue due to a combination of the weight of the body on the surface of the skin and the friction of a resistant surface such as a bed. Areas where bony prominences are less padded by muscle and fat, such as the hip bones, tailbone and heels of the feet, are most susceptible to bedsores. Non-mobile patients are vulnerable to the formation pressure sores when left lying for long periods of time in the same prone position.
Reviewed By
Elika Hoss, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.