Damage to a joint or bone fracture always ends with the immobilization of the limb. For years, gypsum has been used for this purpose. Today, treatment of an injury can be done in several other ways. Check what modern medicine offers instead of plaster.
Each type of stabilizationbone fracturesis to ensure constant contact of bone fragments or ends of broken tendons with each other. In addition, the stabilization keeps the broken bone in the so-called limb axis. This is important not only for proper bone fusion, but also has a huge impact on relieving the patient from pain. In addition, the stabilization allows you to use the limb despitetrauma .
Gypsum - advantages and disadvantages
Casting seems to be a simple, risk-free method of treatment. But it's just appearances. Its incompetent use may lead to many complications, e.g. local maceration and skin necrosis (it develops as a result of pressure), paresis of the compressed nerve, and necrotic changes in blood vessels. Therefore, 24 hours after plaster placement, blood supply and neurological reactions should be checked. In addition, immobilization of the leg or arm in a cast for many weeks reduces the physiological tension of the muscles. Hidden under plaster, they do not perceive any external stimuli. Their weight decreases, their muscles just wane. Slightly less frequent is bone demineralization, weakening of tendons and serious circulatory disorders, which in themselves require long and sometimes complicated treatment.
Instead of plaster
The disadvantages of gypsum prompted scientists to look for new solutions. Their attention was drawn to glass fibers soaked in polyurethane resin. Dressings made of them have such a composition that when they come into contact with water, a chemical reaction begins, causing the dressing to harden. The total hardness of the dressing is achieved after 30 minutes, while the final drying of a traditional plaster takes a day. But time is not the only thing that matters. A synthetic dressing is lighter than a regular dressing. It is also resistant to getting wet, so you can use the shower as normal. After bathing, we wipe it with a towel. If water has got under it, dry the skin with a hair dryer to prevent the moisture from maceration of the skin. Another advantage is the air permeability of the dressing and the X-ray permeability of the dressing. This is important because whenwith complex fractures, it is necessary to control proper bone fusion.
ImportantStiffening limbs was known in antiquity. They used wooden boards and webs of fabric soaked in starch, resin, wax, egg white, and even lime. Plaster dressings reached Europe from Arabia in the 8th century. They didn't have too many followers. At the beginning of the 9th century, when powdered gypsum was used to immobilize the limbs, the method began to be widely used.
Gypsum with memory
The application of synthetic dressings is also important for the healing process, because resins can be used to obtain dressings with varying degrees of stiffness. Healing a fracture is a multi-phase process. First, a hematoma forms, followed by inflammation, scarring and bone regeneration (remodeling). This determines the stiffening conditions. In the first phase, the damaged limb should be completely immobilized, preferably with a traditional plaster. As healing progresses, it can be replaced with a synthetic dressing. It is important not to inhibit callus formation and that too much weight (the weight of the plaster cast alone) does not slow down bone fusion. At this stage of treatment, it is best to use synthetic plaster, which protects against excessive movements within the fracture, but allows the axial load useful in the healing process. Synthetic dressings are flexible to varying degrees (depends on the resin mixture). This allows you to move your injured arm or leg within a safe range. And because the dressing "remembers" the shape, it moves the limb into the correct position after a slight movement - in the position chosen as optimal for quick healing. This allows you to move your injured arm or leg safely. And because the dressing "remembers" its shapes, after a slight movement it positions the limb in the right position - in the position chosen as optimal for quick healing.
ProblemThe plaster cannot be too tight
If, on the 1st day after the plaster application, the limb becomes numb, you feel tingling in your fingers or it is noticeably colder, you need to see the doctor again. The surgeon will check that the plaster does not obstruct the blood flow and nerves. For the first few days, the stiffened leg should be placed higher, and the arm should be carried in a sling.
The elasticity of the synthetic dressing protects the injured against the so-called plaster damage, which consists in partial muscle atrophy or joint contractures. Thanks to this rehabilitation is easier, less painful, and recovery much faster.
Modern stabilizers (orthoses)
In some cases, it is not necessary to use a plaster - the limb can be immobilized by wearing an appropriate stabilizer, i.e. an orthosis. Such stabilizers are recommended, for example, in the case of knee injuries, ankle sprains or a rupture of the Achilles tendon. The stabilizers are made of a breathable material. There are airbags between the fabric layers, which provide a stiffening element. Soft edges protect the skin against abrasions. The orthoses are produced in several sizes, so you can choose the right one for the calf or wrist circumference.
You must do itWhen it's far to the doctor …
Sprain - the joint capsule has been stretched, the leg hurts, there is swelling and a huge bruise. Apply a cold compress, make the limb higher. Immobilize the joint with an elastic bandage. Crap - ligaments have been torn, the joint is distorted, swollen and it hurts - limb cannot be moved. Immobilize the damaged limb and report quickly to the emergency room or hospital. Closed fracture - the limb hurts a lot, it is deformed, it cannot be moved. Wait for the ambulance without changing your position. If you need to get to the hospital by yourself, immobilize the adjacent joints. Open fracture - broken bone has broken the skin, blood appears. Stop the hemorrhage and call an ambulance. Put a dressing on the wound, do not move the bone.
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