A footrest and an abdomen locator are supported on a post mounted on a base which rests on a floor. A patient is seated on the table of a medical cart, with feet on a footrest bar on a floor mounted positioning device. The cart table height is adjusted so that the patient's knees are higher than the pelvis, tipping the pelvis backward. A horizontally and vertically adjustable bar on the device is placed against the abdomen at about the height of the umbilicus, providing a stop about which the patient can curl the upper part of the body forward, reversing the normal lumbar curve, opening the space between vertebral bodies at the dorsal side, facilitating a spinal tap. Base support feet are provided for non-slip engagement with the floor during the procedure, and rollers are provided on the base and situated to facilitate tipping and rolling the base from one location to another after a procedure has been completed.

A patient restraint, especially suited for pediatric patients, for securing and supporting the child during lumbar puncture procedures. A platform base supports the child on its side, acting as a lateral restraint. A padded mid-back support board, fixed to a bottom edge of the platform base, provides support for the lumbar region; an opening in the board provides access to the L4-L5 interspace region of the back. The child is clamped against this support board by a moveable padded abdominal stabilizer which is mounted on the platform base. A cervical support board is hinged to the mid-back support, and is fastened into an angled position to the mid-back support. A padded, triangular knee support is mounted to the base, at a position along a positioning groove which is inwardly angled from the bottom edge of the base, so that as the knee support moves inwardly, it moves upwardly. A child positioned against the mid-back support is secured by clamping the abdominal stabilizer against the child, holding its lower body and pelvis fixed against the mid-back support in proper position to expose the L4-L5 interspace. The spine is then tensioned by bending up the cervical stabilizer, flexing the upper back into the desired curved position, and also raising the knee stabilizer to bend and hold the legs in a bent position, thus approximating the desired fetal position.

A table top for a patient trolley or gurney is provided with a removable armrest. The armrest is mounted on the table top by having an insertion piece received in an insertion opening on the edge of the table top. In the preferred embodiment, the table top has a plurality of insertion openings in the form of slots spaced along the edge of the table and the armrest has two sets of insertion pieces, with each set having a pair of insertion pieces extending at right angles to each other, so that the armrest can be mounted extending vertically relative to the plane of the table top or parallel to the plane of the table top.

A sterile immobilizing apparatus for restraining the movement of a patient includes a base platform on which is mounted a series of restraining members with a disposable sterile insert member engaging the restraining members and base platform to provide a sanitary surface for performing the desired procedure. The restraining members include a lower back support, an upper back support, an abdominal stabilizer, a cervical stabilizer, and a knee stabilizer. The lower and upper back supports are rigidly mounted to the base platform, while the abdominal stabilizer, cervical stabilizer and knee stabilizer are each movably positioned on the base platform. Between the lower and upper back supports is a lumbar opening in which the sterile insert member is positioned such that the area surrounding the medical procedure performed on the patient is sterile. After the first use, the sterile insert member may then be disposed of as desired the physician and replaced with another sterile insert member for the next procedure.

A resting system comprising a support (5) for supporting a resting means (4) on which a body can rest in relative comfort, wherein a support means (5) is provided comprising a support frame (5) having a plurality of channel forming means (7) and further wherein said resting means (4) includes a number of components and the junction between at least two of said components provides a further channel (9), aligned with said channel forming means (7), so that a securing/restraining means is able to move in said aligned channels (9); and at least one securing/restraining means including a portion which is adapted to move along said aligned channels (9) and a portion (3) which can be placed against a body to be secured/restrained so as to prevent excessive movement of said body; a kit for the adaptation of existing support means so as to provide the resting system; the use of the resting system in patient care in orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, radiography, radiodtherapy, general surgery, rheumatology, physiotherapy, veterinary medicine/surgery, post-operative recovery, by the rescue and emergency service, the armed forces, sports medicine, or during care of the elderly both at home and in nursing homes; and particularly the use for the avoidance of pressure development or the development of pressure sores.