Dimensional Gel Plus – For Bony Prominences

Dimensional Gel Plus – Enhanced Pressure Care for Bony Prominences

Dimensional Gel Plus is a specialist medical-grade silicone gel pad developed to provide enhanced cushioning, pressure redistribution and comfort for individuals with prominent bony areas or additional pressure care requirements.

Using Gel Ovations’ innovative Dimensional Gel technology, the Plus version features an increased gel depth of 18mm. This provides greater immersion and envelopment, allowing the flexible gel structure to conform to the user’s body and help distribute pressure across a larger contact area.

Dimensional Gel Plus is particularly relevant for wheelchair users, individuals with reduced mobility and people who experience increased pressure around vulnerable areas such as the sacrum and ischial tuberosities.

Its flexible cellular construction helps manage pressure, friction and shear while supporting airflow and comfort during prolonged sitting. It can be incorporated into an individualised pressure management and seating plan following appropriate assessment.

Key Benefits of Dimensional Gel Plus

• Enhanced cushioning: The increased 18mm gel depth provides additional support around prominent bony areas.
• Pressure redistribution: Helps spread pressure across a greater contact area rather than concentrating it on individual pressure points.
• Increased immersion: Allows the user to settle into the flexible gel surface for improved conformity.
• Improved envelopment: The gel adapts to the body’s contours to support vulnerable areas.
• Friction and shear management: Flexible gel cells help accommodate movement at the contact surface.
• Airflow: The open cellular design allows air to circulate through the structure.
• Medical-grade silicone: Flexible material developed for specialist pressure care applications.
• Low-profile design: Provides additional cushioning without the bulk of some conventional support surfaces.

How Dimensional Gel Plus Supports Pressure Redistribution

When an individual remains seated for extended periods, pressure can become concentrated around areas where bone lies close to the skin. These areas are known as bony prominences and may be particularly vulnerable when mobility, sensation or the ability to reposition is reduced.

Dimensional Gel Plus uses a flexible cellular silicone structure that responds to the shape and movement of the user. Rather than presenting a rigid contact surface, the gel conforms around the body to help distribute loading more evenly.

Its additional depth provides enhanced immersion and envelopment, which are important considerations when selecting pressure redistribution equipment.

Immersion and Envelopment Explained

Immersion describes how the body settles into a support surface. Greater immersion can help increase the area over which body weight is supported.

Envelopment describes how closely the support surface conforms to the shape of the body. Effective envelopment can help reduce concentrated pressure around prominent anatomical areas.

Dimensional Gel Plus combines these principles through its deeper, flexible gel structure, making it an option where additional cushioning is required.

Additional Cushioning for Bony Prominences

Prominent bony areas can create challenges when selecting wheelchair seating and specialist pressure care equipment.

Areas such as the ischial tuberosities, sacrum and other points of contact with a seating surface may experience increased pressure, particularly when an individual has limited mobility, reduced tissue coverage or difficulty independently changing position.

Dimensional Gel Plus provides additional gel depth to help accommodate these anatomical contours and redistribute pressure across the supporting surface.

For individuals with complex seating requirements, the suitability of a pressure care product should be considered alongside posture, weight distribution, existing cushions, skin condition and the individual’s wider care needs.

Managing Friction and Shear Forces

Pressure is not the only consideration in maintaining skin integrity. Friction and shear can also contribute to tissue damage, particularly when a person moves, slides forward or is repositioned while seated.

Friction occurs when surfaces move against one another, while shear occurs when forces act in different directions through the skin and underlying tissues.

The flexible cellular structure of Dimensional Gel Plus is designed to respond to movement and help manage these forces at the contact surface.

This makes friction and shear management an important consideration when assessing how Dimensional Gel Plus may contribute to an individual’s pressure care plan.

Airflow, Comfort and Skin Protection

Heat and moisture are important factors to consider for individuals who remain seated for long periods.

The open cellular construction of Dimensional Gel Plus allows air to circulate through the gel structure, helping provide a more ventilated contact surface.

Combined with the material’s flexibility and cushioning properties, this design can support comfort as part of an appropriate seating arrangement.

Regular skin inspection, suitable positioning and effective moisture management remain essential components of good pressure care practice.

Who Is Dimensional Gel Plus Suitable For?

Dimensional Gel Plus may be considered for individuals who require additional cushioning and pressure redistribution around vulnerable contact areas.

Potential applications include:

• Wheelchair users: Additional cushioning where prominent bony areas create increased seating pressure.
• People with reduced mobility: Pressure redistribution support for individuals with limited ability to reposition independently.
• Care home residents: Specialist cushioning as part of an assessed pressure care and seating plan.
• Rehabilitation patients: Support for individuals with changing positioning and mobility requirements.
• Community and homecare settings: Additional pressure management where suitable seating equipment is required.
• Individuals with complex seating needs: A potential option where standard gel thickness does not provide the required level of cushioning.

Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, tissue viability nurses and other healthcare professionals can assess the suitability of Dimensional Gel Plus alongside the individual’s existing equipment and clinical requirements.

Dimensional Gel Plus vs Standard Dimensional Gel

Both standard Dimensional Gel and Dimensional Gel Plus use Gel Ovations’ specialist medical-grade silicone technology to support pressure redistribution, comfort and friction and shear management.

The main difference is the increased gel depth of Dimensional Gel Plus, which provides additional immersion, envelopment and cushioning.

Standard Dimensional Gel may be appropriate where a thinner support surface is preferred. Dimensional Gel Plus may be considered where prominent bony areas or other seating considerations make additional cushioning desirable.

The choice between the two products should be based on the individual’s pressure care requirements, posture, existing seating system and professional assessment.

Product Specifications and Available Sizes

Dimensional Gel Plus is manufactured using a flexible medical-grade silicone cellular structure and is available in three sizes:

• 400 × 400 × 18mm
• 460 × 460 × 18mm
• 510 × 510 × 18mm

Material: Medical-grade silicone gel.

Gel depth: 18mm.

Primary application: Enhanced cushioning and pressure redistribution for bony prominences.

Key properties: Immersion, envelopment, flexibility, airflow and friction and shear management.

Optional Premium VP Covers

Dimensional Gel Plus can be used with optional Premium VP Covers, providing an additional protective layer for the gel pad.

These covers offer practical features for regular use, including:

• Vapour-permeable fabric.
• Wipe-clean outer surface.
• Non-slip base.
• Access to the gel pad for cleaning and maintenance.

The appropriate cover should be selected according to the intended application and the manufacturer’s product guidance.

Dimensional Gel Plus for Healthcare and Care Homes

Effective pressure management requires more than selecting an individual cushion or support pad. It involves assessing the person’s mobility, posture, skin condition, nutritional status, existing support surfaces and ability to change position.

Dimensional Gel Plus may provide additional cushioning and pressure redistribution within a wider care plan developed by an occupational therapist, tissue viability nurse or other appropriately qualified professional.

For care homes, rehabilitation services and community healthcare providers, specialist gel products can offer additional options when reviewing seating comfort and vulnerable pressure areas.

Dimensional Gel Plus should be selected according to individual needs and used alongside appropriate repositioning, regular skin assessment and other recommended pressure management measures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dimensional Gel Plus used for?

Dimensional Gel Plus is a medical-grade silicone pressure care pad designed to provide enhanced cushioning and pressure redistribution, particularly around prominent bony areas. It may be used as part of an individualised seating and pressure management plan.

What is the difference between Dimensional Gel and Dimensional Gel Plus?

Dimensional Gel Plus features a deeper gel structure than standard Dimensional Gel. Its 18mm depth provides additional cushioning, immersion and envelopment for individuals requiring increased pressure care support.

Can Dimensional Gel Plus help with pressure around bony prominences?

Yes. Dimensional Gel Plus is designed to help redistribute pressure by conforming to the body’s contours and increasing the supporting contact area. It may help manage concentrated pressure around areas such as the sacrum and ischial tuberosities.

Is Dimensional Gel Plus suitable for wheelchair users?

Dimensional Gel Plus may be suitable for wheelchair users who require additional cushioning or pressure redistribution. Its suitability should be assessed in relation to the person’s existing wheelchair cushion, posture and individual seating requirements.

Does Dimensional Gel Plus help manage friction and shear?

Yes. The flexible cellular silicone structure is designed to accommodate movement and help manage friction and shear forces at the contact surface. These properties can be important when selecting equipment for individuals with reduced mobility.

Can Dimensional Gel Plus be cleaned and reused?

Dimensional Gel Plus is designed for repeated use with appropriate care and cleaning. Optional Premium VP Covers can provide additional protection. Always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions and relevant infection prevention procedures.

Specialist Pressure Care Solutions from Gel Ovations Europe

Gel Ovations Europe supplies specialist pressure care products for healthcare, rehabilitation, care homes and individual users.

Alongside Dimensional Gel Plus, our product range includes standard Dimensional Gel, wheelchair pressure care accessories, bathroom pressure care solutions and Made to Measure products for individuals with complex positioning and protection requirements.

If you need assistance selecting a suitable product, please contact Gel Ovations Europe to discuss your requirements.

Important: Dimensional Gel Plus should be used as part of an individualised pressure care plan. No single gel pad can eliminate pressure ulcer risk, and the product does not replace appropriate positioning, skin monitoring or other clinically recommended interventions.