What features of moisture wicking fabric make them particularly suitable for managing moisture associated skin disorders? Alexis Harding addresses this topic in her poster, “Moisture Wicking Fabrics: A Comparative In-Vitro Assessment of the Performance Characteristics That Make Them Suitable For the Management and Prevention of Moisture Associated Skin Disorders (MASD)” at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Fall.

The researcher compared a moisture wicking fabric that contains silver to a non-silver moisture wicking fabric. The comparison was conducted via in vitro assessments, which includes vertical wicking, coefficient of friction, conformability, and absorbency, in order to investigate the physical properties that impact both fabrics’ performances.

After performing this assessment, the author found that the moisture wicking fabric with silver showed increased absorbency and wicking properties compared to normal fabrics. It was found to have, what the author calls, “an increased flexural rigidity” in comparison to alternative moisture wicking fabrics, meaning, the fabric was able to easily follow the contours of the body, making it more comfortable. Additionally, the moisture wicking fabric with silver had a reduced odor colonization of bacteria within the fabric itself.

Disclosure: The lead author is the Research and Development Scientific Leader for Advanced Medical Solutions.

Reference

Harding A. Moisture Wicking Fabrics: A comparative in-vitro assessment of the performance characteristics that make them suitable for the management and prevention of Moisture Associated Skin Disorders (MASD). Poster presented at Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Fall; Las Vegas, NV: October 13-16, 2022.