Physicians Improve Bivalved Casting With Revolutionary Technology
Splitting a cast (or Bivalving) is a common practice in orthopedic care that involves making longitudinal cuts in a cast to reduce pressure, accommodate limb swelling or facilitate cast removal. This essential technique avoids compression dangers like compartment syndrome and window edema, while ensuring patient comfort and promoting effective healing. However, traditional cast materials and methods have posed limitations, leading to complications, discomfort and prolonged recovery times.
ActivArmor offers a game-changing solution to orthopedic casting. By leveraging innovative materials and advanced design, ActivArmor is revolutionizing the way physicians approach cast splitting.
The Importance of Cast Splitting
Cast splitting, also known as bivalving, is a critical procedure in orthopedic treatment. It involves creating a linear cut along the cast's length to:
Reduce internal pressure within the cast.
Allow for natural swelling of the injured limb.
Facilitate the removal or adjustment of the cast.
Traditional casts, made of plaster or fiberglass, often present challenges during splitting due to their rigidity and lack of adaptability. This can lead to discomfort for patients with acute injuries, and potential serious complications in the healing process.
ActivArmor: Revolutionizing Bivalved Casting
ActivArmor casts are designed to address these challenges head-on. Utilizing cutting-edge technology and advanced materials, ActivArmor provides a superior alternative to conventional casts. Here's how ActivArmor revolutionizes the bi-valved casting process:
Customizable Fit and Comfort
ActivArmor custom 3D-printed casts are biocompatible and made from 100% ABS plastic, offering a hygienic, breathable, safe and skin friendly alternative. Designed using precise measurements of the patient’s limb, and bivalved for easy application and removal, ActivArmor casts ensure a perfect fit, while allowing for necessary adjustments and minimizing discomfort.
Reduced Complication Rates and Improved Patient Outcomes
Patients with acute injuries, like fractures, often have changes in edema and muscle atrophy over the course of healing. Traditional casts are not adjustable, and must be sawed-off and re-applied every time a change occurs, otherwise dangerous complications like compartment syndrome or window edema can occur due to compression, or fracture displacements due to casts becoming too loose.
Improved compliance
Traditional bivalved casts are easily adjusted or removed by the patient, which can result in further injury, such as displacement, or poor healing outcomes. ActivArmor’s groundbreaking design allows for visibility of the skin underneath the cast, to determine the need for loosening or tightening the device throughout the healing phases. Spacers can be added or removed as-needed from between the seams to accommodate for changes in edema (swelling). Waterproof, adhesive-backed closed-cell foam Plastazote can be added wherever needed to tighten or cushion areas throughout the treatment period, all while keeping the patient securely locked-into the device to ensure use compliance and reduce or eliminate the risks of further injury. This is especially critical when treating children!
Innovative Materials
ActivArmor uses high-quality, medical-grade plastic. ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is a stable, hard and durable plastic used in children’s toys, food packaging and surgical tools. As a result, ActivArmor is designed to be washable, cold sterilizable, reusable and recyclable. This material is lightweight, durable and breathable, providing better overall patient comfort and lifestyle freedom.
Waterproof and Hygienic
ActivArmor casts are waterproof, allowing patients to maintain better hygiene during the recovery. This feature also reduces the risk of skin irritation and infections that can occur with traditional plaster or fiberglass casts, as well as allowing patients to live their active lifestyles - swimming, gardening, caring for infants, washing dishes, and in dirty occupations.
How ActivArmor Bivalved Casts Work
ActivArmor casts are bivalved by design, for ease of application to the patient.
Here’s a step-by-step look at how it works:
The physician fits the custom ActivArmor cast to the patient’s limb.
If the cast is too tight in any area, the physician adjusts the ActivArmor by inserting stackable spacers between the seams of cast, and locking them into place with cable ties. The spacers can be removed and re-applied as needed throughout the course of healing to adjust for swelling.
If the cast is too loose or rubbing in any area, it can be easily removed, waterproof foam padding inserted wherever needed, and locked back into place.
Physicians can now treat patients with changes in edema and muscle atrophy without needing to use scary cast saws and re-applying multiple casts for each exam/x-ray or for soggy casts or other patient complaints of discomfort. This saves time and money for patients and providers while promoting a more effective and pleasant recovery experience.
As the field of orthopedics continues to evolve, ActivArmor stands at the forefront, setting new standards for patient care and treatment outcomes. Learn how you can provide ActivArmor for your patients today.
