Early Functional Treatment and Modern Cast Making forIndications in Hand Surgery

Cast treatment can serve both as a nonsurgical treatment option and as a means for providing postoperative protection.However, with the duration of immobilization intervals, the benefits of cast treatment, especially in hand surgery, are at risk ofbeing outweighed by undesired drawbacks such as joint stiffening and contracture formation. In order to minimize potentialcomplications commonly associated with cast treatment, efforts to further improve cast making must attempt to reconcile twoconflicting objectives: (1) to achieve stability and rigidity at the site of injury (e.g., fracture retention) and (2) to allow free rangeof joint movement as early as possible. In addition, in order to assure patient compliance, modern cast treatments should aim toimprove wearing-comfort of the cast. This paper describes modern cast designs for four common types hand injuries, with samplecases highlighting the clinical outcome of each treatment