Splint Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• A splint is a support that protects injured bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. A joint is the area where two or more bones meet, such as your shoulder or ankle. Tendons are tough tissues that connect muscle to bone. Ligaments are tissues that connect bone to bone. A splint is sometimes called a half-cast because it does not wrap around an entire body area like a cast does. A splint is used to decrease pain and stop or limit movement so you can heal. Splints can also stretch or mold tissues to help keep, or improve, your range of motion (joint movement).
  
  
• You may need a splint if you have fractured (broken) bones. A splint helps hold the bones in place while they heal. Sprains (muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries) and strains (muscle injury) may also be treated with a splint. Splints are used for joint dislocations (bones move out of place) to help hold the bones in their normal position. Splints can also reduce pain and protect the joint after surgery to repair your tendons and ligaments.
  
  
• The type of splint you need will depend on your injury and where it is. Buddy-taping is simple splinting done by taping an injured area to a non-injured area, such as fingers. Some splints are pre-made of fabric or plastic. Pre-made splints can be adjusted using hooks, straps, buckles, or laces. You may also need a hard splint made from plaster or fiberglass to fit the injured area. Unlike casts, caregivers can easily adjust a splint if you have swelling or pain after an injury. Splints help keep your injured body area in its normal position to prevent further injury. Having a splint placed can help your bones and tissues heal as they should, so you can move better.

AFTER YOU LEAVE:

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him if you are allergic to any medicine. Keep a current list of the medicines, vitamins, and herbs you take. Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists.

• Pain medicine: You may need medicine to take away or decrease pain.
  
  
  • Learn how to take your medicine. Ask what medicine and how much you should take. Be sure you know how, when, and how often to take it.
    
    
  • Do not wait until the pain is severe before you take your medicine. Tell caregivers if your pain does not decrease.
    
    
  • Pain medicine can make you dizzy or sleepy. Prevent falls by calling someone when you get out of bed or if you need help.
  
  

Follow-up visits:

You may need to see your caregiver for a follow-up visit 1 to 2 weeks after getting your splint. Ask your caregiver when and how often you need to return for a follow-up visit. If you have a removable splint, make sure you wear it to your follow-up visits. Keep all appointments. Write down any questions you may have. This way you will remember to ask these questions during your next visit.

Wearing your splint:

Wear your splint as long as your caregiver tells you to. Most splints are worn from days to weeks, depending on your injury. Some splints can be taken off at certain times of the day. Ask your caregiver when or if your splint should be adjusted or removed.

Caring for your splint:

• Do wait for your hard splint to cure, or harden completely. If you will walk on your splint, fiberglass can support your weight after about 30 minutes. Your caregiver may tell you to wait up to three days before walking on a plaster splint.
  
  
• Do check your splint, and the skin around it, each day. Check your splint for damage, such as cracks and breaks. Check your skin for redness, increased swelling, and sores.
  
  
• Do keep your splint dry. Before you bathe or shower, wrap your hard splint with two layers of plastic, then put a plastic bag over it. Keep the plastic bag tightly sealed. You can also ask your caregiver about waterproof shields. Do not put your hard splint in water , even with a plastic bag over it. A wet splint can make your skin itchy, and may lead to infection.
  
  
• Do keep your splint clean. Keep dirt out of your splint.
  
  
• Do loosen the elastic bandage around your splint if it feels too tight.
  
  
• Do not put powders or deodorants inside your splint, because they can dry your skin and increase itching.
  
  
• Do not try to scratch the skin inside your hard splint with sharp objects, such as coat hangers. Sharp objects can break off inside your splint or hurt your skin.
  
  
• Do not pull the padding out of your splint. The padding inside your splint protects your skin. You may get severe (very bad) sores on your skin if you take out the padding.

Treating pain and swelling:

Caregivers may suggest the following to help decrease pain and swelling from your injury:

• Rest and elevation: Elevate (raise) the splinted area by keeping it above the level of your heart for 1 to 3 days. You may lie back in a bed or chair and put pillows under an injured leg or foot. Use pillows to prop up an injured arm or hand. You can loosely tie a pillow to your splint to elevate it while you sleep. Ask your caregiver how long you should elevate your splinted area.
  
  
• Ice: Ice causes blood vessels to constrict (get small), which helps decrease swelling and pain. Put crushed ice in a plastic bag and cover it with a towel. Put the ice pack on your injury for 30 minutes at a time, for the first two days. Use the ice as often as your caregiver says you should.
  
  
• Gentle movement: Wiggle your fingers and toes often. Gentle movement while you rest helps reduce stiffness and swelling.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• Your hard splint gets wet or is damaged.
  
  
• You have a fever.
  
  
• Your splint is tight, or feels tighter than before.
  
  
• You have itchy, dry skin under your splint that is getting worse.
  
  
• The skin under your splint is red or you have a new sore.
  
  
• There is a bad smell coming from your splint.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• Your pain is increasing.
  
  
• Your fingers or toes are numb (lose feeling) or tingling.
  
  
• You feel burning or stinging around your injury.
  
  
• Your nails, fingers, or toes turn pale (decreased color), blue, or gray, and feel cold.
  
  
• You have new or increased trouble moving your fingers and toes.
  
  
• Your swelling gets worse. You may see more swelling in your fingers or toes below your splint.
  
  
• The skin under your splint is bleeding or leaking pus.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Splint Care (Discharge Care)