Reproducibility of Traction Force in Traction Equipment

The purpose of this study was to measure the traction force of seven traction devices being used in four facilities and to investigate its reproducibility and characteristics. For reproducibility the measurements were made three times on the same day, and were repeated three times at intervals of 7 and 14 days after the first measurement, and measurements of the intra-day and inter-day repetition were performed. The characteristics of traction force were found to be linear, and a difference was also found between set up and measured values. The results were that the intra-day and inter-day reproducibility of traction force measured values was excellent, but there were traction devices which had differences between their set up values and their measured values, suggesting the necessity of periodic maintenance inspection for ensuring patients' safety.