It can be pressure against a nerve from an unpadded stirrup, an unintended slide that causes a burn or a sedentary patient's ulcer that develops into an infection. Whatever the reason, less-than-perfect patient positioning can cause post-op pain that's worse than a tender surgical site. Even though positioning techniques and products have evolved over the years, there's still slim data to support what we accept to be the best practices. Keeping in mind that proper patient positioning is both a science and an art, here's advice on formulating the best patient positioning practices for your facility.