By restricting movement, casts provide stability to the affected area, enabling proper alignment and healing of bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Upper extremity casts are frequently utilized to immobilize the arm, wrist, or hand for the treatment of fractures, soft tissue injuries, or during post-surgical recovery.

A short arm cast is designed to immobilize the wrist and part of the forearm, extending from below the elbow to the hand, often leaving the fingers free for limited mobility.

Leg casts are designed to immobilize the lower limb, facilitating the healing process for fractures, ligament injuries, or post-surgical repairs.

When a patient is advised not to put weight on an injured limb, mobility aids like crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs can be used to help with movement during the recovery process.

For the leg, the cast extends from the thigh to just above the ankle, often used to manage patellar fractures, some types of tibial plateau injuries, or post-operative care following knee surgeries.

The application involves precise alignment to maintain proper positioning of the affected area while ensuring adjacent joints remain mobile, allowing for some functional movement and reducing stiffness during recovery.

They are less commonly used today due to advances in less restrictive bracing systems and surgical techniques but remain crucial in specific cases where maximum immobilization is essential.

A common variant, the body jacket, encases the trunk and includes shoulder straps to provide added stabilization, particularly for injuries involving the thoracic or lumbar spine.

This method of correction was pioneered by UK scoliosis specialist Min Mehta and is a non-surgical approach designed to guide spinal growth and alignment during a critical developmental period.

By employing traction, the EDF method elongates the spine, derotates the vertebrae and pelvis, and improves lordosis and overall body alignment, significantly enhancing the patient’s posture and physical function.

The combination of elongation, derotation, and flexion in this casting method offers an effective early intervention to correct scoliosis and guide proper spinal development.

A spica cast encases the trunk of the body and one or more limbs, providing immobilization for injuries or conditions requiring stabilization across multiple joints.

These casts were once common for severe shoulder injuries but are rarely used today, as specialized splints and slings have largely replaced them, promoting early mobility to prevent joint stiffness during recovery.

The extent of trunk coverage depends on the specific injury or condition and the surgeon’s preference, ranging from the navel for spinal mobility to as high as the rib cage or armpits in rare cases.

Maintaining proper hygiene while wearing a cast is crucial to ensure patient comfort, prevent skin irritation, and reduce the risk of infection.

Since casts are often made of non-breathable materials and remain in place for weeks, they can create an environment prone to moisture buildup, which can lead to odors, skin irritation, or fungal growth.

Unpleasant odors, excessive itching, or discharge from the cast are potential signs of an infection or skin breakdown, requiring immediate medical attention.

Plaster casts have several limitations, including weight, which restricts movement, and skin complications such as dryness, itching, rashes, and infections, particularly in hot weather.

Due to these drawbacks, fiberglass casts were developed in the 1970s, offering a lighter, more durable, and water-resistant alternative, though they still have limitations in terms of skin irritation and moisture management.

They are the next generation of orthopedic immobilization photo-curing specialty-resin technology that enables a waterproof, washable, lightweight, strong and comfortable way of recovering from fractures.

[citation needed] Alternative immobilization techniques offer non-cast methods for stabilizing injuries, providing options that may be more comfortable, adjustable, or suitable for specific conditions.

While traditional casts are commonly used for fractures and soft tissue injuries, alternatives are increasingly being utilized to address various patient needs and preferences.

By the sixteenth century the famous French surgeon Ambroise Paré (1517–1590), who championed more humane treatments in medicine and promoted the use of artificial limbs, made casts of wax, cardboard, cloth, and parchment that hardened as they dried.

The innovation of the modern cast can be traced to, among others, four military surgeons, Dominique Jean Larrey, Louis Seutin, Antonius Mathijsen, and Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov.

After a short tour of duty as a naval surgeon, he returned to Paris, where he became caught up in the turmoil of the French Revolution, being present at the Storming of the Bastille.

The substitution of Dextrin for starch, advocated by Velpeau, the man widely regarded as the leading French surgeon at the beginning of the 19th century, reduced the drying time to 6 hours.

A great deal of interest had been aroused in Europe around 1800 by a British diplomat, consul William Eton, who described a method of treating fractures that he had observed in Turkey.

Pirogov's method involved soaking coarse cloth in a plaster of Paris mixture immediately before application to the limbs, which were protected either by stockings or cotton pads.

Among the improvements suggested as early as 1860 was that of making the dressing resistant to water by painting the dried plaster of Paris with a mixture of shellac dissolved in alcohol.