SPLINTING

Course overview

INJURIES THAT RESULT IN INSTABILITY REQUIRE IMMOBILIZATION, DECREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF FURTHER DAMAGE, PROTECTING SOFT TISSUES, ALLEVIATING PAIN, AND ACCELERATING HEALING. INSTABILITY MAY RESULT FROM DIRECT INJURY TO THE BONES (FRACTURE), JOINTS (DISLOCATION), OR THE SOFT TISSUES SUCH AS THE MUSCLES (STRAIN) OR LIGAMENTS (SPRAIN). FOLLOWING THE DIAGNOSIS OF AN UNSTABLE INJURY, A SPLINT MAY BE THE BEST TREATMENT OPTION AND IS LOOSELY DEFINED AS AN EXTERNAL DEVICE USED TO IMMOBILIZE AN INJURY OR JOINT AND IS MOST OFTEN MADE OUT OF PLASTER. A SPLINT MUST BE DIFFERENTIATED FROM A CAST, TO DETERMINE THE BEST FORM OF IMMOBILIZATION BASED ON THE CLINICAL SCENARIO. THIS ACTIVITY REMAINS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM IN ASSESSING AND APPLYING SPLINTING IMMOBILIZATION TO INJURIES THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM SUCH A STRATEGY.