Innovative Adaptive Spine Board Promises Enhanced Emergency Transport Safety

In emergency medical scenarios, especially in combat zones or during urgent rescue missions, swift and effective patient transport can be a matter of life and death. However, maintaining immobilization for extended periods increases the risk of pressure injuries, also known as bedsores or ulcers, which can lead to serious complications. To address this critical issue, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington and UT Southwestern Medical School have developed a groundbreaking device: the adaptive spine board (ASB) overlay.

This advanced overlay is designed to sit atop standard stretchers or spine boards. Utilizing innovative air-cell technology, the ASB intelligently redistributes pressure, reducing the likelihood of tissue damage during prolonged transport. A recent study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering demonstrated that the ASB surpasses traditional immobilization solutions in preventing pressure injuries.

Muthu B.J. Wijesundara, the principal research scientist involved, stated, "The ability to dynamically adjust pressure to avoid high-pressure zones is a significant breakthrough in medical evacuation. This innovation could redefine transport protocols and significantly improve patient outcomes." Pressure injuries develop from sustained pressure on the skin and underlying tissues, resulting in cell death, tissue breakdown, and open wounds. Cases from long-range trauma transports, such as those in military contexts, report that over half of casualties develop pressure injuries before hospital arrival.

Traditional support surfaces like vacuum spine boards or military stretchers often fail to keep pressure below critical thresholds, especially on vulnerable areas such as the head, spine base, buttocks, and heels. The ASB's multi-segmented design features five sections—head and neck, upper trunk, buttocks and pelvis, thighs, and feet and heels. Each section incorporates sensors and an autonomous algorithm to modulate air-cell pressure locally, adapting in real-time to environmental changes like temperature and pressure variations.

This technology not only benefits military applications but also has significant potential in civilian healthcare, particularly for spinal injury patients at high risk of pressure ulcers. The device's capacity to provide continuous, responsive support could be revolutionary in disaster relief efforts and space missions, where prolonged immobilization is inevitable.

Pressure injuries are costly and dangerous, contributing to longer hospital stays, higher infection rates, and increased mortality. The cost per case in the U.S. can reach over $150,000, with thousands of deaths annually attributed to such injuries. The ASB overlay aims to mitigate these risks through advanced pressure management, maintaining skin integrity during critical transport periods.

Ongoing research seeks to refine the device's ease of use in real-world conditions. Given the increasing reliance on aeromedical evacuation, adopting such technologies could markedly improve patient safety in conflict and disaster zones.

For more details, see the study: Veysel Erel et al, "Development of an adaptive spine board overlay for interface pressure reduction during long-range aeromedical evacuation," Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering (2025). source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-spine-board-er.html