Extensible dressings

A wound dressing assembly comprising:

• a. an absorbent body having a longitudinally extending centerline, transversely extending centerline and a periphery, the absorbent body, having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being opposite the first surface:
• b. an adhesive contacting the second surface of the absorbent body so as to form a region of positioning adhesive extending substantially along the transversely extending centerline the region of the positioning adhesive having a periphery,
• c. a backing layer adhered to the second surface of the absorbent body by the region of positioning adhesive, the backing layer having an inner zone at least partially surrounded by an outer zone
• wherein the region of positioning adhesive has a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, such that when the region of positioning adhesive contacts the backing layer:
• i. the first side defines an end of a first surface area of the backing layer extending from the first side, beyond the periphery of the absorbent body, to the outer zone of the backing layer in the direction of the longitudinally extending centerline;
• and
• ii. the second side defines an end of a second surface area of the backing layer extending from the second side, beyond the periphery of the absorbent body, to the outer zone of the backing layer in the direction of the longitudinally extending centerline and opposite the direction of the first surface area, the first and second surface areas being substantially free of adhesive, and the periphery of the absorbent body being spaced away from the periphery of the region of positioning adhesive, whereby transfer of movement or stretch of the attached backing layer to absorbent body is minimized.