Casts

A cast holds a broken bone in place as it heals. Casts also help to prevent or decrease muscle
contractions, and are effective at providing immobilization, especially after surgery.

Casts immobilize the joint above and the joint below the area that is to be kept straight and
without motion. For example, a child with a forearm fracture will have a long arm cast to
immobilize the wrist and elbow joints.

Short arm cast – This type of casts are applied to the hand below the elbow. These are applied
on the fractures of the wrist and the forearm. The short arm cast is also used to hold the muscles
of the wrist and the forearm in place after the surgery.
Long arm cast - The long arm cast is used on the upper portion of the arm including the upper
arm, elbow or forearm. This type of cast also helps in acting as a support for the muscles on
those areas after a surgery.
Arm cylinder cast - This type of cast is used to cover the upper arm up to the wrist. An arm
cylinder cast is good to hold the tendons and the elbow muscles in place following a surgery or a
dislocation.

Shoulder spica cast – This cast is applied to the trunk of the body to the arm, hand and shoulder.
It is mostly used after shoulder dislocations surgeries or dislocations at the shoulder area.

Minerva cast – The Minerva cast is applied around the trunk and the neck of the body. It is used
on the neck area or the upper portion of the back area after a surgery.

Short leg cast - The short leg cast is used on the area located below the knee proceeding to the
foot. It is used in fractures of the lower leg, ankle sprains or fractures and also to hold the
muscles and tendons of the leg and the foot in place even after a surgery.
Leg cylinder cast – This cylinder leg cast is applied starting on the upper portion of the thigh to
the ankle of the leg. It can act as a support to the leg area or the knee area including the knee,
lower leg and knee.

Unilateral hip spica cast – This cast is applied starting on chest to the foot in case of a thigh
fracture. The hip or thigh muscle and tendons are held in place after a surgery.
One and one-half hip spica cast – This cast is applied to the foot of one leg and to the knee of
the other leg from the chest. Generally a bar is placed between both the legs. This will help in
keeping the legs and the hips immobilized.
Bilateral long leg hip spica cast - This cast is designed to be applied on the chest to the feet.
here also a bar is placed and is mostly applied to the fractures in the thigh, hip and pelvis regions.

Short leg hip spica cast – The cast is this case is applied to the knees or thighs from the chest. It
also holds the muscles and tendons of the hip area in place following a surgery to process
healing.
Abduction boot cast - The cast which is applied from the upper thighs to the feet is ideally
named as the abduction boot fracture. A bar is placed in between both the legs keeping their legs
and hips immobilized.

Risser Cast – This cast is used for encasing the entire trunk of the body, extending over the
cervical area to the chin. In rare cases it extends over the hips to the knees. The Risser cast is
made of plaster of paris or fiberglass and is used to immobilize the trunk in the treatment of
scoliosis and in the preoperative or postoperative correction or maintenance of correction of
scoliosis.

Pantaloon Cast – This cast is used for the treatment of a children’s spinal condition