To Cast, to Saw, and Not to Injure: Can Safety Strips Decrease Cast Saw Injuries?

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Fiberglass cast removal is common in pediatric orthopaedics.
• Oscillating cast saws pose risks of abrasive injuries and burns.
• The efficacy of safety strips in preventing these injuries is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if a safety strip acts as a barrier against blade-to-skin contact.
• To assess the impact of safety strips on heat transfer during cast removal.
• To evaluate if safety strips affect cast pressure release upon splitting.

Main Methods:

• Simulated cast removal using pediatric models with and without safety strips.
• Comparison of simulated skin touches between the two conditions.
• Measurement of heat transfer and cast pressure with and without safety strips.

Main Results:

• Safety strips significantly reduced simulated skin touches for both experienced and inexperienced users.
• Heat transfer was decreased, preventing interface temperatures from reaching 50°C.
• No significant increase in pressure beneath the cast was observed after splitting when using safety strips.

Conclusions:

• Safety strips are effective in reducing simulated blade-to-skin contact during cast removal.
• The use of safety strips shows potential for minimizing cast saw injuries.
• Further clinical validation is recommended to confirm efficacy in practice.