I decided to share some practical tips related to immobilizing the lower limb (knee) with a splint. In this regard, the article will be useful for:
- people for whom the ski season did not go according to plan;
- people for whom Sunday’s match ended unexpectedly;
- people who have recently experienced injuries.
When an orthosis is placed
In orthopedics and traumatology, a splint is placed preoperatively, but is more often a postoperative measure. Required by the attending physician (operator). In most cases, the splint protects the knee joint from twisting and limits the possibility of bending in the joint. It has a protective function.
Currently on the market you can find a wide variety of splints (straight, hinged), of different brands and in a wide price range. I will not dwell on the qualities of the splint, this is not the purpose of this article. However, I will add that the lightness of the mobilization splint is an important indicator. Also, you can always fix the hinge splint to zero degrees and use it as a straight line, but not the straight line as a hinge.
The first thing you need to know is how to place the splint correctly. I find this particularly important as it has been used for at least a month. The main mistake that patients make is that they wear the splint too tight, even when their foot is resting in an anti-edema position. Or too loose when they move and it literally slips.
When placing the splint, its degrees should be on both sides of the knee cap. After making sure that they are there, fasten the bar with a strip just below and above the knee so that it does not move. Then tighten the other straps.
The splint should be pleasantly tight and provide comfort and stability to the foot. You should not slip while walking. When resting, it is desirable for the patient to loosen the splint so that blood and lymph circulation can occur normally. This is especially recommended in the first postoperative days, when the foot is elevated and is cooled frequently because it is swollen.
The orthosis is also your faithful friend at night, when it protects you from unwanted, sudden movements during sleep.
Please change the splint degrees only after personal consultation with the operator or his assistants.
Remove the orthosis
Patients who wear splints usually use crutches. It would be good to add here that when it comes time to remove the crutches and the splint, it would be good to do it in the following sequence:
- first we remove the crutch from the eponymous side of the affected limb;
- follows the crutch on the other side;
- and lastly, the orthosis.
When you remove the orthosis, please do not put it in the basement, we would not like to use it again. Give it to someone in need. 🙂
