Using Pressure Mapping to Compare Efficacy of Patient Bed Positioning Devices in Participants Who Are Able-Bodied and Those with Tetraplegia.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of four positioning aids in able-bodied participants and those with tetraplegia, to determine (1) if devices differed with regard to pressure reduction and (2) if results differed for able-bodied participants versus those with tetraplegia.

Methods: Forty volunteers (20 able-bodied and 20 with tetraplegia) participated. The variable of interest was reduction in mean pressure in the sacral region, measured in mm Hg.