Splints Flashcards
Thumb spica splint/short opponens splint
fractures, median nerve injury, repetitive motion syndromes of thumb, scaphoid, lunate, 1st MC fx, deQuervains, mommy thumb/gamers thumb, ulnar collateral ligament damage, inflammation/deformity of CMC/MCP due to arthritis/dislocation
- CMC, MCP joint support, hand based or wrist cock up (thermoplastic or fabric with metal stays)
- immobilize thumb (thumb opposed, PIP not immobilized to allow distal movement/opposition to fingers)
general purpose for splints
- to immobilize during healing to prevent re-injury, promote correct bone/tissue alignment
- to support to align extremity, allowing function
limit wearing time of a new splint to
1-2 hours at a time unless MC says otherwise & increase wear time as tolerated
if a splint must cover a bony prominence, the area around the prominence should be
padded, skin monitored
static splints
no moving parts, splinted area is immobilized, made of low temperature thermoplastic but could be made from harder, less flexible material
dynamic splints
have moving parts, position to facilitate movement, may have thermoplastic bases combined with movable components or can be made from softer materials (neoprene, cloth)
resting pan splint
- for conditions that require long immobilization
EX: hemiparesis, arthritis, chronic pain - support front of fingers, hand, wrist, FA, thumb in slight abduction
- can be padded
dorsal resting pan splint
for skin conditions, IV or other ports, contracture or deformities that prevent fit of a volar splint
- wrist/FA support on back rather than front
- used when splint contact with front of wrist & FA is contraindicated
antispasticity ball splint
hemiparesis from CVA/TBI, CP, MS, other degenerative conditions, Alzheimers
- supports front of hand/fingers/wrist, FA
- fingers & thumb abducted by individual troughs
- reduce spasticity, prevents contractures
cone splint
to position hand when severe flexion contracture is present (Alzheimers, hemiparesis, dementia, advanced neurological conditions)
- narrow end towards thumb, wide end towards pinky (hand or wrist/FA based)
wrist cock up
for wrist injuries, median nerve compression injuries, positioning with spasticity/deformity, carpal tunnel, arthritis, simple wrist fx, CP
- wrist in 15 degrees extension with hole for thumb
- thermoplastic or fabric with metal stays
- immobilize wrist
- variation is dorsal wrist cock up
volar wrist splint
fractures, tenosynovitis, positioning after nerve injury/surgery, repetitive motion injuries, carpal tunnel, wrist fx, radial nerve palsy, RA
- similar to wrist cock up but wrist in neutral
thumb extension splint
thumb in extension, prevents adduction, opposition
- immobilize thumb after tendon/ligament injuries
C-bar splint
- positions thumb in opposition to index finger
- maintains a web space
- used in place of a cast for edema
posterior elbow splint
- immobilize shoulder following fx, soft tissue injury, brachial plexus injury, shoulder fx, soft tissue injuries due to dislocation
- rigid plastic + metal positioning
- UE in 90 degrees elbow flexion
- variation: elbow fully extended, FA supinated, fingers extended (for deep tissue 2nd & 3rd degree burns)
static finger flexion splint
corrects finger extension contractures from injuries
static finger extension splint
corrects finger flexion contractures (Dupuytren’s contracture)
- thermoplastic or metal trough with strapping to stretch finger into extension