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Spacer fabrics are special textiles that offer designed qualities for pressure relief as well as regulation of heat and moisture. Investigations of the physical properties of these textiles demonstrate favourable qualities for their potential use in the medical field. The application of spacer fabrics for the prevention of chronic wounds is just beginning. However, typical fields of application are primary prevention of pressure sores in the operation room, secondary prevention of pressure sores for wheelchair drivers and the prevention of plantar ulcers in patients with the diabetic foot syndrome. Spacer-fabric-based bandages seem to be useful in oedema treatment in cases of chronic venous insufficiency and chronic lymphatic insufficiency.

This paper describes the possibilities of antimicrobial finishing of three-dimensional spacer fabrics and its applications, and gives information about the different effects. A research project of the Textilforschungsinstitut Thüringen-Vogtland Greiz is presented in which medical shoe insoles, based on specially manufactured three-dimensional spacer fabrics, made of permanently effective antimicrobial yarns were used for interesting and functional textile products. Furthermore, work of the research institute Forschungsinstitut für Leder und Kunststoffbahnen Freiberg is presented which describes the silver-coating process and application of textile materials using antimicrobial substances. The chemical and mechanical stability is investigated, and proof of the effectiveness is supplied. The results show that in the three-dimensional spacer fabrics both - antimicrobial yarn materials and thin silver films with antimicrobial substances - can achieve an antimicrobial effect, even in low quantities.

Textiles worn in close contact to the skin inerfere with the nor− mal skin surface flora. Microbes on the skin surface may interact not only with the skin itself, but with textiles and the textile/skin interaction. Ideal antimicrobial textiles should respect the phys− iological skin flora and guarantee excellent skin tolerability. Mo− dern textile technical solutions offer product qualities close to this ideal. In the present paper research programmes and rese− arch results are presented demonstrating the various fields of application.