Choosing an optimal headrest for preventing postoperative alopecia - A manikin study

Abstract Background Postoperative alopecia is a rare complication after surgery. The etiology is thought to be pressure-induced hair follicles ischemia caused by prolonged immobilized head. Headrest is always used as head positioner during operation. The contact pressure between the head and headrest is believed to be related to the development of postoperative alopecia. The aim of this study was to find a headrest with the minimum contact pressure. Methods Five different materials headrests — folded sheet, foam donut, gel donut, natural latex, and memory foam were examined. The contact pressures between the manikin's head and tested headrests were continuously recorded for 4 h using CONFORMat System sensor. The average and peak pressures over the contact area were measured at 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, and 4 h. A generalized estimating equations (GEEs) analysis and one way repeated measures ANOVA were used to assess the data. Results The memory foam headrest showed the lowest average and peak contact pressures over the contact area (p  Conclusion Of the five headrests we examined, the memory foam headrest is suggested to be the best choice for surgical patients because of its lowest contact pressure.