Week5 assignment: Orthoses
Week5 assignment: Orthoses
Splintsare mainly used to control, support, or facilitate the process ofhealing of the injured parts of the body. They come in differentforms and shapes depending on the part of the body that has beeninjured and the type of condition being addressed (American Agencyfor Hand Therapy, 2016). Some of the most important splints will bediscussed in this paper.
Table1: Different types of splints
Splint | Description | Condition |
Volar wrist cock-up | A splint that is used to limit the motion of the limb, relief pain, offer functional support, and align the joints. The splint is fabricated from quality thermoplastic material. | -Tendonitis -Fracture |
Dorsal wrist cock-up | A splint that is used for conditions that require maintenance of wrist in the functional position. Normally used as the base for dynamic splinting. | -Hemiplegia -Branch nerve plexis injury |
Resting hand | A splint used to support weak or deformed hand using an ultra-comfort material. It may be used to support the wrist when one is resting. | -Pain in the wrist. |
Thumb spica | An orthopedic splint that is designed to immobilize the wrist of the thumb, while permitting the rest of digits to move freely. | -Fractures to the distal radius. -Colles fracture. |
Hard cone | A splint that is worn on the lateral side of an arm. The fingers of the client are positioned around the cone. An adjustable hinge is placed at the wrist to increase its extension. | – Spasticity |
Soft splints | Use materials that are soft to alleviate damage and pain. Material used may include pillow, towel, and folded blanket. | -Damage on the wrist. |
Finger rings | A special type of ring used to provide a fashionable way of enhancing finger function and joint support when the client suffers from hyperextension on fingers. | -Osteoarthritis -Rheumatoid arthritis |
Source:Via Futura (2016).
Table1: Thumb spica
Care | Wearing Schedule | Precautions |
Thumb spica for treating thumb sprain. | Wear at night and day during the entire healing phase. Typically, the schedule should go up 6 weeks depending on sprain’s severity. | The use should be discontinued when unusual swelling or skin discoloration is noticed. Ensure appropriate care for the wound is taken prior to the application of the splint. |
Source:Arthritis Research (2016)
Conclusion
Thetype of splint should be selected depending on the type of injury andthe type of the body where it needs to be applied. Splints servedifferent purposes, including the management of pain andinflammation.
References
AmericanAgency for Hand Therapy (2016). Informationon splints.Mount Laurel, NJ: American Agency for Hand Therapy.
ArthritisResearch (2016). Resting splints. ArthritisResearch.Retrieved June 2, 2016, fromhttp://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/arthritis-and-daily-life/splints/resting-splints.aspx
ViaFutura (2016). Splint in the spotlight: Short thumb spica (opponents)splint. ViaFutura.Retrieved June 2, 2016, fromhttp://blog.orfit.com/tag/short-thumb-spica-splint/