Operating table failure: another hazard of spine surgery.

A patient fell from a Jackson Spine Table during an anesthetic. Spine surgery involving fusion and instrumentation often requires specialized operating room tables. The Jackson Spinal Table has several stated advantages, including ease of positioning, particularly for obese patients, and the ability to turn the patient to prone and supine positions. We encountered a serious hazard with the Jackson Spinal Table, which exposes patients to potentially serious injury. The table design renders it difficult to easily identify when it is locked, and therefore a patient may be prone to falling off the table.