The term "strappado" used to describe this position refers to a method of torture that is still practiced in some countries today, and has its roots in a form of medieval torture by the same name. While the strappado bondage position is considered to be a form of BDSM "play", it shares its basic principles of restraint with the method of torture and therefore can very easily become just that if not practised safely. In particular, there is a risk of the sort of injuries discussed in the strappado article.