Casts & Splints. Casts and splints are orthopedic devices that are used to protect and support fractured or injured bones and joints. They help to immobilize the injured limb to keep the bone in place until it fully heals. Casts are often made from fiberglass or plaster.

The main purpose of splinting is to immobilize the joints and bones above and below the fracture site. This is to prevent bone edges from moving and damaging other muscles, vessels, or nerves and further complications.

Any suspected fracture (broken bone) or dislocation should be splinted, immobilized, or both. An effective splint helps to prevent further injury and to provide substantial pain relief.

Casts and splints support and protect injured bones and soft tissue. When you break a bone, your doctor will put the pieces back together in the right position. Casts and splints hold the bones in place while they heal. They also reduce pain, swelling, and muscle spasm.

Treatment for a hairline fracture looks different than that of a more severe fracture. You likely won’t need a cast, but the doctor may recommend that you wear a brace to keep your arm immobile. You should also rest your arm and use ice to control the pain.

Technically speaking, the answer to the question “can broken bones heal without a cast?” is yes. Assuming conditions are just right, a broken bone can heal without a cast. However, (and very importantly) it doesn’t work in all cases. Likewise, a broken bone left to heal without a cast may heal improperly.

Signs Your Broken Bone Is Healing

1. What You Experience During Healing. The following steps are what you will go through as your broken bone is healing:
2. Pain Decreases.
3. Range of Motion Increases.
4. Swelling Goes Down.
5. Bruising Subsides.
6. Orthopedic Clinic in Clinton Township, MI.

Once we’ve determined that a bone is indeed broken, the cast does not go on immediately. Instead, patients must usually wait for about a week after the break before being casted to allow time for swelling to go down.

The broken bone must be properly aligned and held in place, often with a plaster cast, so it heals in the correct position. If you do not receive the correct treatment, you could develop a serious infection or a permanent deformity. You may also have long-term problems with your joints.

Here are 10 of the worst bone fractures you could get.

• Skull.
• Wrist.
• Hip.
• Rib.
• Ankle.
• Pelvis. A fracture in the pelvis can be life-threatening, just like hip fractures.
• Tailbone. A tailbone fracture can make life difficult, and there is no way to hold the fractured tailbone in place.
• Elbow. A broken elbow is very painful.