How Medical Professionals Make Casts For Broken Limbs

Written By Anita Ginsburg / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

A cast's sole purpose is to support and protect fractured joints and bones. It works to immobilize the injured area, keeping the bone in place and minimizing movement until it heals.

Splints, also known as half casts, restrict movement in specific areas as they offer less support than casts. Splints are first used to protect the area from further injury, and replacement with a cast after swelling lessens is pretty common.

Medical professionals use different kinds of casts, with the most common ready-made splints available in different shapes and sizes.

Traditional Method

The traditional method is a time-tested one, so be sure to learn all about it. The application starts with cleaning the area before thoroughly drying it well. A stockinette is placed directly above the cast before adding another layer of padding, often cotton before rolling, using a soft material to minimize skin irritation.

The padding offers the needed pressure to help with the healing process. Plaster applications start with moistened strips applied over the padding. The strips used are from dry muslin treated with start or calcium sulfate. The process takes a few minutes, but not too long to complete.  

Application is done in layers as the plaster starts hardening. It sets in 15 minutes and needs to be completed to hold the dressing in place to avoid cracking. It is still used and expected in many areas without expanding foam spray.

The plaster used typically takes 36 hours to harden, and it's vital to avoid breaking and cracking it. Be sure to ask what method will be used for your particular situation, especially if you have questions - which you probably will - about the whole process.

Spray Expanding Foam

A spray-on cast comes to cover the limitations of fiberglass and plaster-of-Paris as it is lightweight, comfortable when applied, and dries immediately. The new technology of expanding foam is fast setting, as it is directly applied to the skin and hardens in an hour.

There is no cotton padding, therefore reducing pressure and possibility of irritability to the skin. The best part is that therapeutic agents like antibiotics and clotting compounds are added to the foam before spraying. The fracture immobilization is done with minimal manipulation of the injured area.

The result is that there are no secondary tissue injuries, infection, or even bleeding due to the spray foam. This is a great advancement in the world of medicine and health. Spray foam is so versatile and strong, it is a wonder why everyone is not using it every single day.

Spray foam is very beneficial for many other reasons too. It is not only versatile but very strong. It can take a beating, which is great to know since it is used to make casts and help bones and muscles remain in place during healing. There are many various advantages to using spray foam instead of using traditional methods.

Research some info on this type of material and you will learn how much better it is than traditional methods of making casts. There are many reasons why this has become more popular than older methods of casting a limb.

Casts replacement is done during the healing process when the injury becomes less swollen and the cast becomes loose, failing to meet its objective of holding the bones in place to help heal.

Using velcro strips to help support the cast is vital as it controls the cast's movements. It also ensures that it's easier for the patient to go about daily life without re-injuring the areas. After healing, it is replaced with a splint for freedom of movement.

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Written By:

Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, Colo. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn't writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.