Knitted compression garment, knitted fabric and method of knitting fabric

A method of forming a knitted fabric structure for a therapeutic medical garment having a variable pressure profile along a length thereof, comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a knitted tubular body including a knitted anti-slip portion formed proximate one end of the knitted tubular body with an inner surface adapted for residing against a wearer's skin, and having at least first, second and third yarns simultaneously knitted to form a repeat having a raised surface texture on the inner surface of the anti-slip portion, wherein the first yarn is a low-friction yarn, and further wherein the second yarn and the third yarn are high-friction yarns knitted to reside on and form the raised surface texture on the inner face of the anti-slip portion such that the second yarn is covered by the third yarn at points where the third yarn locks the second yarn to the knitted anti-slip portion;
• and
• (b) providing in each repeat of the knitted anti-slip portion a ratio between an exposed length formed by a high-friction yarn defined as lfy and an exposed length formed by a low-friction yarn lby on a contact surface of the fabric structure intended to contact a wearer' body of greater than r=0.3,
• wherein the respective exposed lengths lx of a yarn x is defined as:
• l
• x
• =
• ∑
• j
• ⁢
• (
• s
• J
• ·
• k
• 1
• ,
• 2
• ,
• 3
• )
• and further wherein:
• i) a section sj of yarn x between two points at which the yarn x is in direct contact with said contact surface, is multiplied with a factor of k1=1;
• ii) a section sj of yarn between a first point at which the yarn is in direct contact with a contact surface, and a second point at which a further yarn is arranged between the yarn and the contact surface, is multiplied with a factor of k2=0.5;
• and
• iii) a section sj of yarn between two points at which the yarn is not in direct contact with a contact surface, is not considered when calculating the exposed length, i.e. k3=0.