What advantages and disadvantages has a plastic cast?

Plastic cast on my leg and arm is still quite a new invention, which was invented as an alternative to standard plaster of Paris. In our days this tool is becoming more popular.

What is an innovation?

Plastic gypsum is a synthetic material with the polymer properties, which gradually comes to replace the usual plaster of Paris. It can be purchased in specialized stores of medical equipment. Trauma centers and hospitals often purchased from specific manufacturers.

Fracture of bones of limbs – too frequent occurrence in our lives. Each time doctors had to impose standard gypsum, which in itself creates too much discomfort. This problem was long ago since ordinary plaster gives too much discomfort that causes the patient to suffer. In order to reduce pain, add flexibility had invented a new type of plaster casts.

Production of a fundamentally new technology eventually allowed to impose on the broken limb with a special polymer bandage, which belong to a new kind of means to immobilize the injured limb. Plastic the form of plaster weighs 4 or 5 times less than usual. This not only reduces pain, but also adds additional flexibility when walking. With a plastic instrument, you can safely walk in shower that is big problem with ordinary plaster, because it is when water crumbles, collapses, can lead to the appearance of bloody bubbles. Often the dressing needs to be restarted.

Plastic cast is used not only in fractures of an arm or leg – it can be used in injuries of the bones in the foot, hand, or shoulder. Regardless of that broken – arm or leg – there is a way to fix the problem with minimal losses to the victim.

Manufactured today bintovuju a plastic device called scotchcast and softcast. They are widely included in the application. Medical organization the patient is given the choice between a standard plaster and plastic.

the Advantages of the new technologies

In Addition to the above advantages, the new technology of bandage SCOTCHCAST has other advantages. They are as follows:

1. Plastic shape allows the patient's skin to breathe, which is very important for the healing process.
2. Attending a specialist can thoroughly examine the damaged area of the limb. For this purpose, x-ray machines. Moreover, objective clinical picture in the end is not distorted. Share x-ray irradiation decreases.
3. In the formation of the synthetic bandage is played a certain anatomical relief surface previously damaged limb. The coordinated scheme is not typical for standard gypsum shrinkage, beautiful styling gives a significant plus. It is available in different colours the choice of the patient who chooses looks like his eye patch.
4. Synthetic gypsum does not cause any allergic reactions, it is practically impossible in its application.
5. When wearing a plastic plaster on a broken leg, you can use ordinary footwear that it is impossible or very problematic when wearing conventional plaster.
6. structure of the Polymer bintovuju ligament provides while using low material consumption, which affects the weight.
7. Synthetic bandage, if desired, can be wiped a damp rag, with the usual cast do not.
8. the cast is composed of plastic, does not stick to hair, depriving the patient of this unpleasant effect.

This invention Had numerous advantages and seemingly no disadvantages. But they are there. The disadvantages of this type of gypsum is as follows:

1. Possible atrophy of muscle tissue as a result of too prolonged wearing of such armbands.
2. Plastic mould gypsum cannot be cut with scissors, if he squeezes. This can only be done using a specialized saw. Ordinary plaster can be easily cut with simple scissors, which is an advantage of the old technology.
3. Skeptical attitude of many doctors to the new technology, considering that the old medical gypsum still can be attributed due to the fact that the new is too hard.
4. Too high price of the new plaster material.
5. Plastic technology is applied by an experienced specialist, but it is quite expensive.

Cons On this exhaust.

Material softcast

gypsum Manufacturing plastic devices is not limited to the model scotchcast. Today scotchcast already established alternatives. The patient can choose what he likes and wear it for fractures of the extremities.

Softcast is the same plastic material as scotchcast, but fundamentallythe difference is that softest of less hard material. It is also called semi-rigid plastic, which mechanism allows you to create bandages of varying degrees of stringency. That is, the patient can determine the degree of hardness of the overlaid material.

Headband available in the form of a roll of fiberglass fabric, which in its composition contains a polyurethane resin, hardening well under exposure to water. Contrast bandage production scotchcast is that when the hardening process, the material is not fully rigid and semi-rigid stays. This allows you to apply certain dressings that help to keep muscle tissue toned, reduce the risk of swelling, atrophy, significantly reduce the time of rehabilitation.

They are breathable and are water resistant, they can easily be cut with scissors, which does not allow headband scotchcast. Them much easier to remove. The material used has a unique property: it can be removed even without the use of scissors, just Raskatov bandage. In the instructions for use mentioned, how to remove the bandage at home.

All this encourages patients to purchase softcast for application to an arm or a leg. These dressings are recommended when applying bintovuju layers in the following cases:

1. When applying a combined dressing by the method of functional stabilisation, in combination with a rigid form of scotchcast. This combination is expected, when it comes to injury or illness of ulcers of the lower limb in the foot.
2. With the defeat of the ligamentous apparatus of the upper and lower limbs.
3. If the patient underwent osteosynthesis, but only when indicated.
4. If we are talking about a sling for baby
5. If you need urgent replacement of gypsum.

For the dressing of softcast on the arm or hand enough 3 or 4 layers of material. On the bottom out a little more, from 4 to 6 layers. The patient can choose different colors of the material.

Plaster of primcast

Another interesting development in the field of polymeric materials has become a cast of primcast, who received a certain share of popularity due to its characteristics. Primcast material consists of a substance called polyester fiber. It differs from that used in other gypsum-fiber devices. This stuff just does not break up into small particles that can cause any irritation on the skin.

Primcast has the following characteristics:

1. Polyester material allows you to vary the tightness of the bandage at the time of its imposition on the damaged area, the material will not foam.
2. Material has different hardness, which is determined by the feeder, and the patient. There are 2 different options of stiffness.
3. Mesh structure and a minor amount of polymer material used allows for continuous gas exchange, improves circulation, this is particularly useful for people with spinal cord injury.
4. the Material is almost completely harmless to the body, does not cause side effects.
5. Implemented the muscle pump effect, i.e. Accelerated decay swelling at 5 or 7 days, in old technologies, this process takes 3 or 4 weeks.

All of the above I should add that the use of the materials Primcast has a tangible advantage – relatively low cost. The average price of this material from 1 thousand to 1.5 thousand rubles, which is really cheap for the material of the new technology.

Material turbocast

Another plastic material, which is used as plaster of Paris is turbocast. It's most important feature is that this low-temperature material used as a plaster bandage. When heated to a temperature of 60° to 100°, it takes its plastic form. When the material cools a bit, it gives you the opportunity to apply the plaster material on hand or other damaged area of the upper or lower extremities. It then solidifies, becoming a hard, resistant structures.

To date, the bandage turbocast is the new and expensive development in the field of gypsum technologies. Individual properties are as follows:

• very light weight, which gives significant comfort to the patient;
• the presence of a plastic shape memory, i.e. A property of the material, allowing it to return to its original shape;
• the opportunity to remodel;
• good compatibility with x-rays, reducing the radiation dose;
• the absence of any toxicity and allergic reflexes
• the absence of any reaction upon contact with an aqueous environment;
• the presence of certain fixation devices, allowing the media cast yourself to remove it and wear again;
• material practically does not cause damage to muscle tissue;
• able to use for the child;
• complete harmlessness of the material property, occurring in medicine very rarely.

Turbocast consists of a material called polycaprolactone. This material is completely harmless to all living beings – humans and animals. When usingthis material is excluded phenomena such as itching, reflexes allergic nature, the negative impact on human health.

This type of gypsum has only one drawback – it's expensive and its installation costs are also expensive. the Average price for laying in the lower extremity ranges from 16 to 17 thousand rubles. The overlap on metatarsals will cost about 17 thousand rubles. Get cheaper to patch radial bone or elbow joint – it will cost about 14 thousand rubles. The prices are very high and they often scare patients, giving preference to cheaper models.

Turbocast, despite his youth, quickly stepped into medicine and is widely used in 70 countries, including Russia.