What is a powder? When should a cast be performed?

When you have health problems related to bones, joints such as bones, tendons, joints, you will be asked by specialists to perform a cast measure to treat. So what is the cast method and what are its effects in healing? Let’s find out with Cfis.edu.vn.

Learn about casts

What is a powder?

Casting is a method of immobilizing fracture sites, in order to fix bones in the right position after surgery , speeding up the healing process and linking soft tissues together, thereby minimizing the ability of the muscles to contract to avoid further injury . Depending on the condition of the wound, the doctor will decide whether to use more splints or not.

Although the patient will experience certain inconveniences during movement when using a cast, this is considered a simple and highly effective method in the treatment of fractures.

Casting method

Popular cast materials

Typically, the two most commonly used materials for casts are plaster and fiberglass, where:

• Plaster: Basically, using gypsum is more cost-effective and easier to shape than fiberglass. This material is most often used to treat fractures, its disadvantages are easy to absorb water, bulky and heavy.
• Fiberglass: In contrast to gypsum, fiberglass is usually light, strong and resistant, especially waterproof. In addition, there is also a cotton lining around the injury area and a special waterproof layer.

Materials commonly used for casts

Forms of casts

• Powder trough: This is the form used for cases with a lot of swelling. Usually, the cast will cover 2/3 of the limb circumference so as not to cause compression of the cast. However, the robustness of this method is not high.
• Vertical Incision Powder: If you experience swelling, this can be used to improve swelling and pain at the fracture site. Besides, this form is also used for new fractures without worrying about putting pressure on the injured site.
• Closed round powder: Used when the swelling ends, helps to firmly fix the broken bone.
• Window-opening powder: Usually applied when having an open wound fracture or a fracture with soft tissue damage, it helps the patient easily take care of the soft wound when the cast is in place.
• Whitmann powder: Used to bundle at the chest, pelvis and feet, especially in the case of femur fractures.

Types of casts

The effect of the cast

The cast is very useful for the process of bone recovery, helping the bones return to the correct position, in addition to a number of effects such as:

• Improve pain condition
• Minimizing the possibility of secondary displacement
• Fix the broken bone, keep the bone in the right position
• Protects and promotes healing of soft injuries associated with fractures.
• Helping patients recover their mobility
• Avoid pressure when moving at the fracture site.

The effect of the cast method

When should a cast be performed?

Usually, a cast is indicated for the following cases:

• Closed fractures: Usually casts for fractures of the hands, feet, and legs.
• Fractures in children, except condylar fractures
• Little or no displacement conditions
• Injuries to soft sites such as wrists or ankles
• Need to immobilize the position before performing surgery

Cases that need to be cast

How to care after the cast

After the cast, there are several things you need to do to take good care of the lesion site, including:

• Leave the affected area quiet for about 10-15 minutes for the powder to dry
• Observe the condition of the skin and body for about 1-2 days , because when the plaster dries, it will cause the body temperature to heat up.
• Limit movement and movement of the injured area, to avoid cracking the plaster in the early stages.

How to care after the cast

Notes when applying a treatment cast

In order for the recovery process to go smoothly, according to MSc. Dr. Hoang Van Ban, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi , you should keep the following notes in mind:

• Quickly re-examine if there are signs of pain, swelling at the cast site.
• The place to be cast needs to be elevated to avoid edema
• Perform muscle contractions regularly and properly to avoid muscle atrophy due to inactivity for a long time.
• Only move after the cast for about 2 days so as not to cause cracking and breaking of the cast.
• When bathing or going to the toilet, it is necessary to wrap the powder in a waterproof bag to avoid damaging the powder
• If there are signs of itching or insect penetration inside the powder area, it is advisable to see a doctor for early treatment.
• Follow-up appointment on schedule.

Notes on casting

Some frequently asked questions

Are casts dangerous?

Usually after a cast, you will experience some complications such as shock, anaphylaxis or tracheal spasm, these phenomena are mostly caused by drugs during the casting process.

In addition, you can also experience some more serious conditions such as skin ulcers, bone pain, damaged nerves and blood vessels, nutritional disorders.

To avoid bad situations when wearing a cast, you should follow a few ways:

• Thorough examination and follow-up on schedule
• Follow all the doctor’s instructions before, during and after the cast
• Regularly monitor the position of the cast and immediately discuss with your doctor if any abnormality appears
• Loosen the cast, block the broken limb or perform surgery if necessary

Other effects of cast

How long after the cast is removed?

This depends on each person’s ability to recover, in addition to the location of the fracture, the extent of the fracture and other factors.

Normally, people in good health, the recovery rate in the upper limb is 4-8 weeks, the lower limb is from 8-12 weeks. However, to be sure, the patient will be thoroughly examined and X-rays taken to make sure the bone is completely healed.

Recovery time after cast

The above article is a summary of information about the cast issue that Cfis.edu.vn wants to send to you. Hope the article will be useful and don’t forget to follow Cfis.edu.vn for more interesting and useful information!

Source: Tam Anh General Hospital

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