What injuries require a cast?

Casts and splints may be used to help treat broken bones and injured joints and tendons, or after surgery involving bones, joints, or tendons. The purpose of a cast or splint is to immobilize a bone or joint while it heals from injury.

What is a cast used for?

A cast holds a broken bone (fracture) in place and prevents the area around it from moving as it heals. Casts also help prevent or decrease muscle contractions and help keep the injured area immobile, especially after surgery, which can also help decrease pain.

Do all fractures need a cast?

Technically speaking, the answer to the question “can broken bones heal without a cast?” is yes. Assuming conditions are just right, a broken bone can heal without a cast. However, (and very importantly) it doesn't work in all cases. Likewise, a broken bone left to heal without a cast may heal improperly.

What injury requires a full leg cast?

Long leg casts can be applied in the acute care setting for acceptably reduced tibial fractures or nondisplaced supracondylar fractures of the femur. The latter stable fractures most often occur in younger children. In smaller children, long leg casts can be applied continuously from the toes to the upper thigh.

What are the three types of casts?

What injuries require a cast?

Is a cast better than a splint?

Splints, also known as half-casts, provide less support than casts, but are faster and easier to use. They also can be tightened or loosened easily if the swelling in the arm or leg increases or decreases.

Can I wear a brace instead of a cast?

Braces come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They can be used immediately following an injury or toward the end of healing, normally following removal of another type of cast.

Do you need a cast for a hairline fracture?

Medical treatments. Your doctor may recommend that you use crutches to keep weight off an injured foot or leg. You can also wear protective footwear or a cast. Because it usually takes up to six to eight weeks to completely heal from a hairline fracture, it's important to modify your activities during that time.

Do ankle fractures require a cast?

Common conditions that require a foot or ankle cast

Stress fractures are caused by the impact from repetitive activities like running, jumping and walking. Ankle fractures need a cast. Some may need surgery if the fracture is severe.

Does a fractured ankle require a cast?

A broken bone must be immobilized so that it can heal. In most cases, this requires a special boot or a cast.

Do you need a cast for a nondisplaced fracture?

Displaced fractures will likely require surgery because the bones are unstable while nondisplaced fractures normally only need to be immobilized in a cast for six weeks to properly heal.

What happens if you don't cast a fracture?

The broken bone must be properly aligned and held in place, often with a plaster cast, so it heals in the correct position. If you do not receive the correct treatment, you could develop a serious infection or a permanent deformity. You may also have long-term problems with your joints.

Can a fracture heal on its own?

Provided that the conditions are right for the break to heal completely, a broken bone or fracture can actually repair itself. After a fracture, a blood clot forms around the break. Then, bone cells begin to form on the sides of the fracture line, moving towards the center of the break, until the break heals.

Do you need a cast for a fractured elbow?

In most cases, people with elbow fractures will be in a cast or splint for at least three to six weeks. Many people can return to normal activities in about four months, though full healing can take a year or longer.

What is a temporary cast?

A temporary cast has been applied to your injured limb to hold it in one position until you are seen in the trauma outpatient clinic. Your cast is made of a substance called Plaster of Paris. It can take up to 48 hours to completely dry.

Can you walk on a fractured leg?

You usually will not be able to walk on it. If it's a severe fracture, the leg may be an odd shape and the bone may even be poking out of the skin. There may have been a "crack" sound when the leg was broken, and the shock and pain of breaking your leg may cause you to feel faint, dizzy or sick.

How do I know if I sprained or broken my ankle?

With a sprain, you feel pain. But if you have numbness or tingling, your ankle is most likely broken. Where is the pain? If your ankle hurts or is tender to the touch directly over your ankle bone, you probably have a fracture.

When do you need an ankle cast?

A foot or ankle cast is used to help immobilize your foot or ankle after a traumatic injury. There are two types of casts – plaster and fiberglass. Your doctor will decide which one is best for your case. Your doctor will make customize the cast to fit your body.

How can you tell if you have a hairline fracture?

Pain in response to pressure is often the key for your doctor to diagnose a hairline fracture. MRI: The best imaging test for determining hairline fractures is an MRI. This test uses magnets and radio waves to provide images of your bones. An MRI will determine a fracture before an X-ray can.

Can you have a fracture without swelling or bruising?

It is common knowledge among orthopaedic surgeons that there may be no external signs of bruising in association with a fracture, and this is one of the many reasons why so much emphasis is placed on marking the limb before surgery.

What happens if a hairline fracture is untreated?

Ignoring a hairline fracture can lead to a more serious fracture or break occurring, which is more difficult to treat. If not treated or ignored, the hairline may not heal, resulting in a non-union fracture.

Is a hairline fracture worse than a break?

There's no difference between a fracture and a break. A fracture is any loss of continuity of the bone. Anytime the bone loses integrity—whether it's a hairline crack barely recognizable on an X-ray or the shattering of bone into a dozen pieces—it's considered a fracture.

Is a walking boot better than a cast?

Less skin damage – skin underneath a cast can become raw and painful. The open-air design and lightweight material helps to prevent skin damage when wearing a walking boot. No loud saws used – walking boots can be removed without the use of loud saws. This is helpful for children who may be afraid of the saws.

Does a cast help with pain?

Casts and splints relieve some pain and reduce swelling, too. They help it heal by keeping broken ends together and as straight as possible. Casts and splints help keep the injured area from moving. This helps the injury heal faster without risk of repeated injury.

Do doctors still use casts?

While fiberglass material is newer, many casts used today are still made from plaster. Plaster casts are most often used when a fracture reduction (repositioning of the bone) is performed.