Stiff fingers can be very tricky to treat. Here is a simple but effective splint for patients with general stiffness of all finger joints. You want to block any flexion of joints what already has good flexion eg, if there are no issues with the MCP joints, you want to block the MCP joints to …
There are many designs of Mallet splints to treat drop fingers, but this is my favourite. Patients like them, they are easy and cost effective to make, they stay in place and allow for fluctuating swelling, common after injury. To make these splints you need: Scissors Thin thermoplastic – I used 1.6mm Turbocast, but Orfit, Colourfit, …
There are a variety of buddy-straps on the market, and here is a simple, cost effective one to make yourself. I use 12mm wide (0.5″) standard velcro. You need: Skinny loop velcro – approx 15cm long (6″) Skinny hook velcro – approx 13cm long (5″) Sewing machine Place the hook velcro on the top of the …
Old x-ray films work well as splint pattern material, for those patterns you use over and over again! The x-ray films are thin and strong, so will last much better than paper patterns. This happens to be my old shoulder x-ray but you can ask any x-ray department and they might have some reject ones …
For many hand patients, oedema can be an issue. Digis-sleeves is a great option to prevent or reduce swelling. And they are easy to make! We usually use Lycra fabric, which comes in a variety of colours. We mainly use the beige or black as it has been the easiest to get hold of and …
My favourite thermoplastic material to use for finger gutter splints is Polyform. I usually use the 3mm think (non-perforated) material and thin it slightly when it is warm. You can of course use other materials as well, but what I like about the Polyform is that it conforms so well and you get really nice …
This is a great, low profile splint for Radial Nerve Palsy. Patients tend to love it because of its light weight and use friendly design. I prefer to use Orfit Classic 2mm for this one, but you can use any 1.6mm or 2mm thick thermoplastic. You want the thermoplastic to have a little bit of give, …
The Fabric lined splint is a very useful splint for those fragile, sore or swollen hands. Here I have used some soft strapping – Durawrap/Mafra, which conforms well around the hand and also helps reduce any swelling. Over the wrist I have used Microgrip, which is an elastic, soft strapping, which would be confortably for …
When you are making a circumferential splint, you do not need to use a thick thermoplastic. For this splint I have used a 1.6mm thick microperforated Turbocast. I like the different colours it comes in and as it has a coating on it, it does not tend to get as hot as the more shiny …