What Is a Splint?
Splints are medical devices used to temporarily immobilize fractures or joint injuries in extremities, such as arms or fingers. They are essential for keeping the injured part of the body at rest until professional medical care is received. Manipulating the bone without proper care can lead to further damage to blood vessels and nerves.
Splints can be made of a variety of materials, including plaster, fiberglass, aluminum alloy, and urethane foam, which effectively hold the injured area in place, especially useful when medical facilities are not immediately accessible. There are also foldable splints, soft and adaptable, which can be shaped with scissors for portability and ease of use.
Uses of Splints
Splints play a critical role in the treatment of fractures, helping to immobilize and align the broken bone for proper healing. Correct immobilization prevents further injury and facilitates a quicker recovery. Without timely and appropriate treatment, recovery can be prolonged, or permanent disability may occur.
By keeping the injured area immobilized, splints reduce pain and aid in the healing process. In emergency situations, improvised materials like magazines, newspapers, or cardboard boxes can temporarily substitute for specialized splints.
Principles of Splints
The method of immobilizing an injured area using splints is known as the plaster splints method, which includes cast splints and cast petri dishes. A cast splint is made using a special bandage for casts, which hardens after being correctly aligned with the injured area.
A cast involves wrapping a plaster cast bandage, containing calcium sulfate, around the injury and then covering it with a stockinette or similar material. Recent advances have led to the development of non-plaster splints made from materials like plastic or urethane foam.
The specific type of splint used is determined by the body part it is intended to immobilize. For instance, a splint immobilizing the area from the shoulder to the wrist is known as a long upper extremity splint.