Splint (medicine)
Splint | |
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Orthopedics |
A splint is defined as "a rigid or flexible device that maintains in position a displaced or movable part; also used to keep in place and protect an injured part" or as "a rigid or flexible material used to protect, immobilize, or restrict motion in a part".[1] Splints can be used for injuries that are not severe enough to immobilize the entire injured structure of the body. For instance, a splint can be used for certain fractures, soft tissue sprains, tendon injuries, or injuries awaiting orthopedic treatment. A splint may be static, not allowing motion, or dynamic, allowing controlled motion. Splints can also be used to relieve pain in damaged joints. Splints are quick and easy to apply and do not require a plastering technique. Splints are often made out of some kind of flexible material and a firm pole-like structure for stability. They often buckle or Velcro together.
Uses
- By the emergency medical services or by volunteer first responders, to temporarily immobilize a fractured limb before transportation;
- By allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and orthotists, to immobilize an articulation (e.g. the knee) that can be freed while not standing (e.g. during sleep);
- By athletic trainers to immobilize an injured bone or joint to facilitate safer transportation of the injured person; or
- By emergency department (ED) physicians to stabilize fractures or sprains until follow-up appointment with an orthopedist.
Types
- Ankle stirrup – Used for the ankles.[2]
- Finger splints – Used for the fingers. A "mallet" or baseball finger is a rupture of the extensor tendon and sometimes including a fracture. While surgery may be necessary such an injury may heal if placed in a finger splint.[3]
- Nasal splint[4]
- Posterior lower leg
- Posterior full leg
- Posterior elbow
- Sugar tong – Used for the forearm or wrist. They are named "sugar-tong" due to their long, U-shaped characteristics, similar to a type of utensil used to pick up sugar cubes.[5]
- Thumb spica – Used for the thumb.[6]
- Ulnar gutter – Used for the forearm to the palm.[7]
- Volar wrist splint – Used for the wrist.[8]
- Wrist/arm splint – Used for the wrist or arm.
History
B.C. to A.D.
Splinting has been used since ancient times. Evidence suggests that splint usage dates back to 1500 B.C. that could treat not only fractures but burns as well.[
1500s
In the early 1500s
1700s–1800s
In the mid-1700s, doctors and mechanics worked with each other to create splints for certain injuries. Surgeons need these mechanics to design and build the splints for them. Most splints were made of metal.
In the 1800s it was beginning to be recognized that rehabilitation after an injury was important. Orthopedics started to become a separate field from general surgery. A famous British Surgeon, Hugh Owen Thomas, created specialty splints that were cheap and best for injuries that were being rehabilitated. By 1883, mechanics and surgeons separated due to class issues. This created two different areas that shaped the way braces were being created and distributed. Around 1888, F. Gustav Ernst, a dedicated mechanic, released a book illustrating upper body splints. In 1899, orthopedic surgeon Alessandro Codivilla followed suit and published a book explaining the importance of using surgical procedures to set up better results using splints.[9]
See also
- SAM splint
- Traction splint
- Vacuum splint
- Cervical collar
- Kendrick extrication device
- Long spine board
- Orthopedic surgery
- Buddy wrapping
- PASG (Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment)
References
- ISSN 0022-3913.
- ^ Stirrup braces – Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ OrthoInfo: Mallet Finger (Baseball Finger) – Retrieved 23 October 2017
- ^ Summit Medical: Nasal Splints and Stents – Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ Medscape: Sugar-Tong Forearm Splinting – Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ Letmedco: The Thumb Spica Splint and its Uses- Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ Ulnar Gutter Wrist Splint – Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ Medscape: Volar Splinting – Retrieved 22 October 2017
- ^ PMID 12086034.
- ^ "Definition of PLASTER OF PARIS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.