Surgical positions

Often a patient must be placed in an unnatural position to gain access to the surgical site.

[1][2] In addition to considerations related to the location of the surgical site, the selection of a surgical position is made after considering relevant physical and physiological factors, such as body alignment, circulation, respiratory constraints, and the musculatory system to prevent stress on the patient.

[2] After anesthesia, the patient's inability to react to movements may damage joints and muscle groups.

[2] The most common nerve injuries during surgery occur in the upper and lower extremities.

Separation of the sternum during a heart procedure can also cause the first rib to put pressure on the nerves in the shoulder.

A surgical fracture table is a table that is used for applying traction to broken limbs while the body is fixed in place, allowing the surgeon to reduce the broken extremity without requiring too much assistance, and then holding the limb in this fixed and reduced position while the surgeon applies external fixation, such as a cast or splint, or internal fixation, such as a nail or plate and screws, to maintain the reduction of the extremity.