Cervical spine motion during patient transfer onto a long spine board

"The initial management stages of a suspected spinal cord injury are crucial. Currently there is a void in the literature with regards to the proper timing of neck realignment for prone patient transfer methods. The purpose of this study was to determine if the timing of neck realignment and/or the size of the victim will have an influence the amount of cervical spine motion during the prone log roll technique. A team of five Athletic Therapists performed 18 log rolls (9 on two trained ""victims""), randomly correcting neck realignment AFTER and DURING the roll as well as the timing of their choice, for both supine and prone conditions. Motion of the cervical spine was collected using accelerometers and electromyography (EMG) was used to collect muscle activity of neck stabilizers. Comparisons were made for range, additional motion, theoretical minimal required motion and maximum EMG values. There were no significant differences found for the timing of neck realignment for motion and muscle activation, but there were significant differences found between male and female victims for both motion and muscle activation. These findings will help enhance knowledge of transfer techniques as well as help develop proper training techniques for primary stage management personnel."