Casting, made either from plaster or fiberglass, is intended to stabilize an extremity\/body part following an injury (fracture, sprain, strain).\u00a0 The extent of the casting and how long you will have to wear it will vary greatly from one patient to another.\u00a0 During the early phase of fracture care, you may be required to return a couple times to reinsure acceptable alignment of the fracture.<\/p>\n
Splinting, similar to casting, is used in much the same way.\u00a0 Splinting is often used during acute care and after surgery.\u00a0 It does not encompass the extremity all the way around like a cast.\u00a0 Although not as rigged\/stable as a cast, it is attended to allow for the accommodation of swelling.\u00a0 During subsequent visits, you may be transitioned into a cast or a removable thermoplastic splint (see below).<\/p>\n
The material used in cast\/splint application does not dry well when wet.\u00a0 It is recommended that cast\/splints be covered and sealed with a plastic bag while showering.\u00a0 Casting material that becomes wet can create significant skin problems including skin breakdown and infection.\u00a0 In certain situations where the casting material is wet in a small, localized and accessible area, a hair dryer set on low heat may dry the material.\u00a0 Otherwise, it is recommend the cast be removed by a provider and a new cast applied as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Thermoplastic material becomes momentarily pliable\/soft with the application of heat and is used by Occupational Therapy to fabricate custom splints that are removable and more functional.\u00a0 The use of such splints typically occurs following time spent in either a cast and\/or post-operative splint.\u00a0 Cotton padding is not used with this type of splinting.\u00a0 Thermoplastic splinting is often intended to be removed daily for bathing and a home exercise program as instructed by your occupational therapist.<\/p>\n
Casting Casting, made either from plaster or fiberglass, is intended to stabilize an extremity\/body part following an injury (fracture, sprain, strain).\u00a0 The extent of the casting and how long you will have to wear it will vary greatly from one patient to another.\u00a0 During the early phase of fracture care, you may be required to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1109,"parent":983,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-986","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n