BODYCAST - THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE CSOT

Clinical experiences with a new waterproof cast padding.
By Steven W. Cutler and David L. Witmer

Originally printed in The Journal of the National Association of Orthopaedic Technologists, Spring 2006. Reprinted with kind permission.

Introduction
Beyond treating an orthopaedic injury, the greatest challenge facing the health care practitioner is to prescribe and administer a treatment that causes minimum disruption to the patient’s life and lifestyle. In other words, the cure should not be worse than the injury itself.

Over the past 20 years, significant improvements in immobilization technologies have reduced the impact of immobilization on the orthopaedic patient. With the introduction and development of synthetic casting materials, casts have become stronger and more durable, yet lighter. For some patients, removable splints and walking boots have replaced casts altogether. However, for the patient who is fitted with a cast, some of the greatest challenges continue to be keeping the cast dry during bathing and recreation and reducing the onset of itching and odours associated with wearing a cast.

Background
During the past decade, products have been introduced that offer the potential to address these challenges through the use of a waterproof cast liner. The waterproof cast liner repels water and permits evaporation of moisture without any special drying. The liner is available in rolls and is applied directly to the patient’s skin. A synthetic casting tape is then wrapped around the waterproof liner to form the cast. The result is a washable, wetable, breathable cast that promotes a normal patient lifestyle with good cast hygiene.

This abstract is a portion of the article which appears in the Summer 2006 issue of BodyCast.  
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