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.

Review Date: 5/28/2024
Reviewed By: Ramin Fathi, MD, FAAD, Director, Phoenix Surgical Dermatology Group, Phoenix, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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