Method and apparatus for supporting and stabilizing a patient during hip distraction

A method for positioning a patient on a surgical table for a surgical procedure on a hip of the patient comprising:

• removably mounting a table extender to the surgical table in an operating room by releasably clamping mounts of the table extender directly to side rails of the surgical table, wherein the side rails of the surgical table are attached to a main body of the surgical table via standoffs such that the side rails are spaced from adjacent side walls of the main body of the surgical table, and wherein the mounts are configured to mount the table extender in only one orientation with respect to the surgical table;
• and
• positioning the patient on the surgical table such that shoulders of the patient are supported by the surgical table and hips of the patient are supported by the table extender, wherein the table extender has a rectangular shape so that the hips of the patient are positioned entirely on the table extender.