Radiographic Analysis of the Cervical Spine. Detecting Sagittal Movement Inflating and Deflating an Interposed Air Mattress on a Spine Board. A Pilot Study

Introduction: Spine boards (back boards) have been used for transporting and stabilizing accident victims for many years. This method of transport is universally accepted and generally considered safe. However, there have been numerous reports of secondary injury incurred using these boards for prolonged periods of time. It has been shown that the average length of time a patient spends on a spine board is 80 minutes and sometimes as great as 240 minutes. At this length of time, not only is the spine board very uncomfortable for the patient, but it can also cause tissue breakdown at the pressure points. Furthermore, incidents of lower back strain and headache are an associated complication.