A fractured hand could not be repaired in a regular plaster cast because it was cumbersome and lead to painful dermatitis for the patient. The doctor recommended a customized cast that would fit the hand perfectly without being too restrictive. It also needed to be lightweight, well ventilated, biocompatible and skin friendly. A regular plaster cast could never fulfill all these criteria so Imaginarium was approached to help.
Challenge
Plaster casts (made of bandage and Plaster of Paris) due to the heavy nature of dressing, makes the skin dry and scaly, resulting in cutaneous complications including infections, rashes or painful dermatitis, especially in hot and humid weather conditions.
Solution
At Imaginarium, the patient’s hand was scanned to get the design specifications for the cast. Armed with that we set about creating a cast that could be secured or removed with user-friendly locks. It also made it very easy to clean to prevent any skin infections. Once the 3D virtual model met the stringent standards set for us, the cast file was printed using SLS technology. In just eight hours we went from conceptualizing an idea to the actual cast for the patient.
Technology used
- X ray and CT scan data for accuracy, 3D CAD modelling, printed in PA 12 using SLS