Low cost DIY radiolucent patient positioners for orthopaedic surgery: An innovative approach.

Patient positioning is a critical step in orthopaedic surgeries, influencing surgical access, fluoroscopic imaging, and ease of hardware application. Trauma procedures often present additional challenges due to wounds, external fixators, or associated injuries, requiring customized positioning solutions. Conventional aids such as sandbags and folded linen have limitations including poor imaging, frequent repositioning, while commercial ones have high cost or limited availability. We describe a low cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) technique to create radiolucent patient positioners using expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam sheets. These positioners are customizable, durable, and versatile, providing effective cushioning, stable non deforming limb support and unobstructed imaging. They can be fabricated into various shapes and sizes to suit the requirements. By enabling tailored positioning at minimal cost, these DIY radiolucent positioners enhance surgical ergonomics, accuracy and safety, offering a practical solution for resource limited settings. Knowledge of their fabrication allows surgeons to overcome challenges related to patient positioning.