A Benchtop Evaluation of Cervical Collar Design and Strap Tension

Abstract: This article presents a novel experimental setup for objectively evaluating cervical collar design and fit by monitoring strap tension and interface pressures across the device-skin interface. This study evaluated four commercially available cervical collars, achieving repeatable findings (ICC > 0.93) that were sensitive to differences between collars and across strap tensions. For each collar, there was a significant relationship (r > 0.4, p < 0.005) between strap tension and interface pressure values, with pressures exceeding 100 mmHg for high strap tensions. Differences in the distribution of pressures and the relationship between strap tension and interface pressures highlight the need for these objective measures of design and fit for cervical collars to evaluate new and existing designs. Keywords: cervical collars, pressure ulcers, interface pressure