Personalized tailoring position pads in spinal deformity correction surgery: a comparative study

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of personalized tailoring position pads in spinal deformity correction surgery. This randomized controlled study included 181 patients who underwent spinal deformity correction surgery between March 2022 and December 2024. The participants were randomly assigned to an observation group (n = 90) and a control group (n = 91). Regular prone-position positioning pads were used in the control group, while personalized tailoring position pads were utilized for the observation group. The effectiveness of both types of pads were assessed based on five parameters: positioning time; pad stability; incidence of skin injuries; occurrence of ocular complications; and satisfaction levels of both surgeons and anesthesiologists. The positioning time in the observation group was significantly shorter than in the control group (6.18 ± 1.02 min vs. 11.51 ± 1.24 min, P < 0.001). Pad stability was better in the observation group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). The observation group experienced fewer intraoperative acquired pressure injuries (IAPIs) than the control group (P < 0.001): 23 cases of stage I IAPIs, 2 cases of stage II IAPIs and 1 case of suspected deep tissue injury in the observation group; 45 cases of stage I IAPIs, 6 cases of stage II IAPIs, and 4 cases of suspected deep tissue injuries in the control group. Ocular complication did not occur in either group. Surgeons and anesthesiologists reported higher levels of satisfaction in the observation group than the control group (P = 0.038, P = 0.027, respectively). Personalized tailoring position pads in spinal deformity correction surgery were shown to be convenient with excellent stability. Furthermore, personalized tailoring position pads effectively reduced IAPIs and improved satisfaction among both surgeons and anesthesiologists.