Establishing Safety Parameters for Orthopaedic Cast Saw Blade Usage
Daniel S McNeil1,2, J Andrew I Trenholm1,3
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre.
Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics
|September 13, 2021
Summary
To prevent burns during cast removal, change Stryker 940 ion-nitride saw blades after 60 plaster casts or 103 fiberglass/plaster casts when using a vacuum. Using a vacuum minimizes burn risks.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Biomedical engineering
- Materials science
Background:
- Cast saw injuries range from 0.12% to 4.3%.
- Temperatures of 65°C can cause burns within 1 second.
- Objective measures for cast saw blade dullness are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine optimal cast saw blade change frequency.
- Minimize patient burn risk during cast removal.
- Establish objective criteria for blade replacement.
Main Methods:
- Simulated cast removal using plaster and fiberglass slabs.
- Stryker 940 cast saw (with/without vacuum) tested.
- Thermocouple measured blade temperature after each use.
Main Results:
- Without vacuum, 65°C reached by the 31st-42nd plaster cast.
- With vacuum, average temperature remained below 57.5°C for 50 casts.
- Blade predicted to exceed 65°C by the 104th cast with vacuum.
Conclusions:
- Change blades after 60 plaster casts or 30 bivalved casts without vacuum.
- Change blades after 103 casts when using vacuum.
- Utilize vacuum systems to reduce patient burn risk.
