Acute, Emergent & Crit Care

INTRODUCTION: Backboards are routinely used to protect the spine of trauma patients during transportation. Nevertheless, little is known about the biomechanical properties of this type of immobilization. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the mechanical support of the thoracolumbosacral spine provided by a standard backboard in comparison with various rigid immobilization surfaces, by examining their respective surface contact area (SCA). MATERIALS: SCAs comparisons of a standard aluminum backboard, a rigid military stretcher, an aluminum backboard covered by blanket, 3 and 5 cm thickness foam, and a cushioned stretcher were made using 12 volunteers...

INTRODUCTION: Prehospital spinal immobilization (PSI) for patients with suspected spinal injury has been the universal standard of practice for emergency medical services (EMS) in the United States since the early 1970s. PSI research has faced numerous methodological difficulties, including an inability to evaluate whether the immobilizations being studied were carried out appropriately. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of spinal immobilization to a long spine board in patients presenting via EMS to an emergency department (ED)...

In ten children who were less than seven years old, an unstable injury of the cervical spine was found to have anterior angulation or translation, or both, on initial lateral radiographs that were made with the child supine on a standard flat backboard. In all ten patients, extension was the proper position for reduction of the injury of the cervical spine. Young children have a large head in comparison with the rest of the body. When a young child is positioned on a standard backboard, the neck may be forced into relative kyphosis...

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine the amount of occipital padding required to achieve neutral position of the cervical spine when a patient is immobilized on a flat backboard. Neutral position was defined as the normal anatomic position of the head and torso that one assumes when standing looking straight ahead. DESIGN: Descriptive with hypothesis testing of selected descriptive elements. SETTING: University campus and hospital. SUBJECTS: One hundred healthy young adults with no history of back disease...