Broken Bones - Casts

[ForrestDump]

Hello everyone,

I'm studying product design at Plymouth Uni and our current brief is regarding healthcare... pretty broad I know. I've narrowed down to looking at the casts applied when bones are fractured or broken.

I am pretty lucky to not have broken any bones though my riding (touch wood) however the insight from someone who has would be really helpful! I looking mainly for information on what sort of problems you found while having/wearing a cast or things that it effected in your life.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks,

James

Edited January 18, 2013 by ForrestDump

[Luke Rainbird]

Loosely related:
http://vimeo.com/24660536

[DrDoom]

Having to have casts replaced every week or so due to swelling going down and then rubbing like f**k was pretty annoying... When I did my achilles however, they put me in an air cast - which could be pumped up when required to bring back the stability.

[Ali C]

Not being able to get them wet was the biggest ballache I found. I had to put my leg in a bin bag and tape it to my thigh. It still let in a little water and pulled my hair out when I took it off. Some king of leg/arm shaped bag with some kind of re-usable seal would have been ideal.

Itching was annoying too, but a spoke usually sorted that out.

I also found my toes got cold, I did stretch a sock over the cast which helped a bit, but my toes still felt vulnerable. Some insulated sock thing with some kind of toe protector would have been good.

[ForrestDump]

Thanks for the quick replies guys.

Having to have casts replaced every week or so due to swelling going down and then rubbing like f**k was pretty annoying... When I did my achilles however, they put me in an air cast - which could be pumped up when required to bring back the stability.

Did the air cast just allow for it to be adjusted to keep it fitting properly to combat the change in swelling?

Not being able to get them wet was the biggest ballache I found. I had to put my leg in a bin bag and tape it to my thigh. It still let in a little water and pulled my hair out when I took it off. Some king of leg/arm shaped bag with some kind of re-usable seal would have been ideal.

Itching was annoying too, but a spoke usually sorted that out.

I also found my toes got cold, I did stretch a sock over the cast which helped a bit, but my toes still felt vulnerable. Some insulated sock thing with some kind of toe protector would have been good.

Thanks Ali, I might put that video into my final presentation to show how you can still carry on what you love doing! I dont suppose you know what the cast was built up from? I think from a little research that theres a padding of sorts on the skin then a hard plaster or fibreglass bandage over that... is that correct?

Waterproofing the cast was my first insight, another was to try and make it more breathable? What was it like when you had it removed?

[DrDoom]

Thats exactly what it did - although they're only currently suitable for ligament/tendon damage - i'm sure the idea could be adapted!
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5035020_air-cast-work.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_6618746_air-cast-vs_-plaster.html

They're also removable for showering and checkups - as they're held on with velcro.

[ogre]

Shitting with a leg cast = nightmare

[Ali C]

the cast I had in that video was a "Temporary" cast, it had a slot down the front to deal with swelling. When I've had leg casts before (twice) they were full ones, built up with padding and fibreglass, I don't think any actual plaster was used.

Breathability wasn't a huge problem, though I must admit it did smell a little towards the end, when I got it off I had loads of dead skin which was very satisfying to remove.

[Duncy H]

+1 on the smell! I was in cast for about 4-5 months and it reeked. Even though I did have several in that time.

My pots always used to go soft too easy from inevitable moisture getting on them.

Edited January 18, 2013 by Duncy H

[CalRobbo341]

Speak to Euan Beaden, either somewhere on here or on facebook, all I ever see is that he has some from of cast on

[ForrestDump]

Thats exactly what it did - although they're only currently suitable for ligament/tendon damage - i'm sure the idea could be adapted!

http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5035020_air-cast-work.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_6618746_air-cast-vs_-plaster.html

They're also removable for showering and checkups - as they're held on with velcro.

Thanks for the links, they look like they'll be helpful for research, I take it that you can only have an aircast over a full depending on the injury? So a stiff and more secure version of this would prove just as effective as a full, fibreglass cast? (potentially)

the cast I had in that video was a "Temporary" cast, it had a slot down the front to deal with swelling. When I've had leg casts before (twice) they were full ones, built up with padding and fibreglass, I don't think any actual plaster was used.

Breathability wasn't a huge problem, though I must admit it did smell a little towards the end, when I got it off I had loads of dead skin which was very satisfying to remove.

I've also read that the surface fibreglass ones is quite rough, did you have any problems with that? I would have thought that if i could design a more breathable structure then this would combat the smell and possibly reduce the cause of dead skin.

Thanks for all the comments so far guy, its been a great help. Never realised how good the forum could be for user feedback and research!!

[Tomm]

Not being able to get them wet was the biggest ballache I found. I had to put my leg in a bin bag and tape it to my thigh. It still let in a little water and pulled my hair out when I took it off. Some king of leg/arm shaped bag with some kind of re-usable seal would have been ideal.

http://www.limboproducts.co.uk/

I've only heard good things about these.

[ForrestDump]

http://www.limboproducts.co.uk/

I've only heard good things about these.

Thanks for that Tom. I've used those before when I've just had a dressing on my leg. I was thinking of trying to incorporate some form of waterproofing into a dressing/cast when it is first applied, therefore a product like the Limbo covers wouldn't be needed.

Thanks again for all the replies.

[Duncy H]

Isn't there a clever way you can waterproof phones with no visible effect or damage to internals? If you could incorporate that into a pot it would be great.

Or instead of using water based solutions for the pot use oil based? They cut them off with that weird saw anyway so it shouldn't matter too much what its based on apart from contact with skin?

[ForrestDump]

Isn't there a clever way you can waterproof phones with no visible effect or damage to internals? If you could incorporate that into a pot it would be great.

Or instead of using water based solutions for the pot use oil based? They cut them off with that weird saw anyway so it shouldn't matter too much what its based on apart from contact with skin?

Theres plenty of 'smart' materials that I could incorporate. Two that have caught my eye so far for this is, Gortex... this is completely water proof (well, stops water passing through) but still allows some factor of breathability due to its structure. The other was an impact polymer, found in POC cycling armour, its soft and flexible until hit or struck, it then hardens to protect the wearer. I'm still in the researching stage though really to see if any changes would be viable.

[PaRtZ]

I has a story...

Arrived at A&E in Chesterfield, March a few years ago after falling in the peak district. I was X-rayed and it looked like this:

Because the bone had only displaced by less than 50%, no surgery was needed (no pins, plates etc) I was told to come back in the next day, but logistical issues meant I had to go into Swansea hospital instead. I was given the temporary super heavy plaster of paris full-arm cast and sent home.

Went into Swansea hospital armed with a copy of my Xray's to show them. I showed them but they said they needed to take more incase the bone had moved since. They took them and it was fine, so they kindly removed my heavy cast and gave me a new full-arm cast in blue.

I was told to come back in a week for the same routine, however I actually had to go back to the isle of wight as I was on a year in industry there, so I was given my Xrays again and set off again.

A week later I went into the hospital and explained the history. I told the doctor I was instructed to get a check-up to see if the bone had moved. He examined the previous Xrays and told me that 'it'd be ok still, just needs more time'. I asked him what if it had moved and he said it wouldnt because its been a week. I was told to come back in 5 weeks.

So what did it look like after 5 weeks I hear you ask? Surely nearly there, or maybe even solid?

Oh no.

I was speechless when I saw these. The bone had clearly moved! I had never broken a bone before so I was pretty distraught as I assumed I couldn't climb again. Anyway I had lived with a full-arm cast for the last 5 weeks - most annoying thing ever was having a shower. Waterproof cast covers are a bit sketch to be honest, but a waterproof cast would be handy. Anyway I was sent away and told back to come in 2 weeks, but now I had this:

I returned after 2 weeks and the xrays were similar to before but more filled in in the 'corner' and the crack was filled. I was liberated from a cast completely nearly 8 weeks after breaking it. Wearing a cast was so uncomfortable and awkward, some easy things were impossible to do, while some tricky things were still do-able.

Epilogue

On my first day back in work with my full-arm cast I was greeted by this:

My manager had asked the guys in the workshop to build this so I could still make and carry the tea

Edited January 20, 2013 by PaRtZ

[ForrestDump]

I has a story...

This is brilliant, thanks for taking the time to share that. Seems like water proofing is a common theme with nearly all of the comments. Matt, your arm looked worse in the second lot of x-rays compared to your first one, don't suppose they told you what happened? So much for the people at work feeling sorry, then again... someone has to make the drinks If your still in the cast... hope it heals up soon!!

[PaRtZ]

This is brilliant, thanks for taking the time to share that. Seems like water proofing is a common theme with nearly all of the comments. Matt, your arm looked worse in the second lot of x-rays compared to your first one, don't suppose they told you what happened? So much for the people at work feeling sorry, then again... someone has to make the drinks If your still in the cast... hope it heals up soon!!

Haha yeah its all good now, it took about 4 months in total before I could start climbing fully again. They never said what happened, just 'meh' pretty much!

Waterproofing would definitely make things better. I used to wrap it in a bin bag while I had a shower but this got annoying. Maybe an exterior coating like gore-tex as you said could work, but it'd probably be expensive?

Good project though! sounds very promising

[ForrestDump]

Haha yeah its all good now, it took about 4 months in total before I could start climbing fully again. They never said what happened, just 'meh' pretty much!

Waterproofing would definitely make things better. I used to wrap it in a bin bag while I had a shower but this got annoying. Maybe an exterior coating like gore-tex as you said could work, but it'd probably be expensive?

Good project though! sounds very promising

Glad to hear the arm is better but its a shame they never said what happened... must have been something on their part

I'm either looking into a whole new cast design or a wrap/bandage than could be used for both covering casts or as a bandage for keeping a dressing compressed on a wound.

Expense is a big factor here, that needs some looking into still. In the end materials get developed and older 'versions' or alternatives become cheaper... this could be a design for the future haha.

[Danny]

When i had a full leg cast itchy foot was the main problem but jamming a steel rule down the end soon solved that.

After having it removed one leg was still skinnier than the other a year later.

[ForrestDump]

When i had a full leg cast itchy foot was the main problem but jamming a steel rule down the end soon solved that.

After having it removed one leg was still skinnier than the other a year later.

Maybe something a little more 'professional' or practical to sort out annoying itches than using a spoke or steel rule could also be a possibility. That or a more comfortable material to help avoid this. Thanks Danny.

[ForrestDump]

So it has been a while since I ask you all about your casts experiences... This CAD model is a concept for the shell of a forearm - wrist 'smart' cast.

cheers,

James