Fractures and broken bones are common injuries encountered by active children and adults. So, you can take these to a medical facility where an orthopedician analyzes your condition and uses various splinting techniques to help fix this problem. He will use some splinting devices to support the fracture and the injured bones. And this procedure assists the limb in keeping the bone in place.
How To Splint A Fracture?
What can you do if a colleague at work or a child gets injured while playing on the field? You can help them by using the guide below:
- You should never move a person unless he’s in a dangerous location, such as in the middle of the road. When you move the victim from the injury site, it might cause further injuries.
- Two people will pull traction on the lower part of the injured area and guide it back gently to a neutral position. Check if the person has a pulse and sensory abilities in the injured area. For example, you can check the foot’s pulse for a foot injury or the hand’s pulse for an arm injury. And always ensure to locate the exact spot with the fracture if you want to immobilize the area well before applying the splint.
- If the patient gets a deformed fracture, this will require straightening from a medical professional or assistance.
- Ensure to have the ideal materials for various splinting techniques. These may come from basic materials, while others are ready-made. For example, some of the available wrapping materials anyone can use include torn shirts, bandanas, or any clothing that you can cut.
- When wrapping, ensure to wrap around the splinted area completely to secure the place. But avoid tightening it such that it blocks circulation.
Splinting Techniques
We’ll discuss two splinting techniques in this article: upper and lower splints.
Upper Extremity Splinting
We shall look at how you can splint an injured arm, elbow, shoulder, or finger. You can create a sling that will help immobilize the collarbone and upper arm injuries extending to the elbow. You wrap the arm sling around the person’s chest with a large bandage.
You will need a straight splint aid for a wrist or forearm injury. For example, you can use a hardback book and open it as a temporary immobilizer. And this helps to align and secure both sides of the damage.
For an injured finger, you can buddy-tape it to the adjacent finger that’s not affected. Alternatively, you can also use cardboard, wood, or other sturdy splints. But a medical professional also needs to check this.
Lower Extremity Splinting
Splinting techniques for lower extremities may include ankle, foot, leg, hip, pelvis, and knee. These are injuries that usually immobilize a person.
A person suffering from a pelvis or upper leg injury such as broken bones might have internal bleeding. Evacuation of such patients might be ideal unless splinting is necessary. If it is, it should extend to the lower back and past the affected side of the knee.
For knee injuries, you need to apply splints extending from the hip to the ankle. So, these can go to the back of the leg and buttock.
Then, you can use handle ankle and foot injuries by wrapping them independently. You can do this by using several patterns: under the foot, over the top of the foot, etc. And to prevent excessive movement, you can use a splinting aid at the sides of the ankle or along the back. Also, keep the foot at a right angle in the splint so the ankle can get immobilized.
In Conclusion
When you encounter a scene of a fractured or injured person in your vicinity, you can use the above splinting techniques to help. But please remember not to move the injured person as this might cause more damage. Also, ensure to locate the exact injured area to immobilize it properly. And where a medical professional requires to do the splinting, reach out for help.
