**1. Introduction**

Today, nonwoven fabrics are the fastest growing area of the textile industry [1, 2]. As nonwo‐ ven fabrics are made directly from fibres, bypassing the large number of operations involved in assembling fibres first into yarn and then preparing the yarns suitably for the fabric formation process, tremendously decreases the labour cost, allows easier cutting and sewing for unskilled labour and reduces the lag time during production process [3]. Furthermore, nonwoven allows modifying its properties by selecting different fibres or binders and controlling the arrangement of the fibres in the web. Hence, they are successful in many

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industrial and medical applications including geotextiles, diapers, wipes, draperies, furniture, mattress, mattress pads, apparel, etc. [4]. Each of these applications has different demands due to which the specific properties and characteristics of the nonwoven must be addressed carefully in order to design optimised fabric structure with maximum benefits. This chapter focuses on a particular end application for the nonwoven as a padding bandage used in multilayer compression system recommended for chronic venous ulcers.

Nonwoven padding is an essential component in a multi-layer compression system [5, 6]. Padding lies underneath compression bandage or stocking through which substantial amount of pressure is exerted on the limb of patient. Padding plays two major functions: first it helps to maintain uniform pressure around the circumference of limb, and, second, it helps in proper exchange of moisture or air for improved comfort to the patient. This chapter addresses several issues related to padding: it begins by mentioning the medical problem, identifying the product requirements, describing the role of fibre and construction, attempting theoretical modelling to understand padding behaviour, examining the structure–property relationship and finally recommending the optimised product.
