This One Device Sets the Tone for the Whole Procedure
The Arm Board Is Not an Accessory — It's the First Act of a safe procedure
We don’t talk about arm boards. We don’t think about them. We slide them in and move on.
I’ve been in this field long enough to know one thing: Every procedure starts with a setup—and a bad setup can compromise the procedure.
That’s the truth.
And for some reason, arm boards—the literal surface that supports the patient's body—are treated like afterthoughts. They’re too short, too flimsy, too brittle, too makeshift. Sold in sizes that don’t match human anatomy, built from materials that crack, and designed by people who have clearly never placed a patient on a table.
We’ve Normalized a Setup That’s Not Good Enough
Here’s a radical idea: The arm board is the beginning of a safe procedure.
The right arm board should:
Fully support the arm—from elbow to fingertip
Stay completely secure during positioning, prep, and imaging
Include dedicated restraint slots for when sedation doesn’t keep the patient still
Withstand real weight—without sagging or shattering
Help you do your job better, not give you one more thing to fix
And it should do all of that without making you buy two of them per arm.
A typical arm board: designed for 2/3 of an arm.... Guess you'll have to buy two, or risk harming the patient. Manufacturers do not consult the end users, and this is a prime example.
Why Did I take arm boards back to the drawing board?
Stratus arm boards are Technologist designed for IR, Cath and Vascular surgery labs. Built to last decades. Built to exceed expectations.
Because I got tired of watching bad equipment create more work for staff. Because I saw how much time we waste on positioning two arm boards on each side. Because no one should have to MacGyver their way through basic patient positioning. And because I believe that when we elevate the setup, we elevate the care.
Our Patients—awake, sedated, or unconscious—deserve better than a wobbly platform and tape.
Stratus Dovetail arm boards: Sturdy construction, Lasting quality, Technologist designed
If you’re working a case tomorrow, take a second and look at the board under your patient’s arm.
Ask yourself if it’s holding up its end of the job. Because if it isn’t— now there is no excuse.
Stratus Dovetail Security Arm Boards. Stratus LLC 2025