Splinting a limb joint during the night is an effective way of immobilizing the area and allowing it to heal. During the night, involuntary movements can strain soft tissues and bones of the joint, which can impede the healing progress. Splints can be made in almost any size and shape, depending on which joint needs splinting. The basic design and process of manufacturing the splint is the same for the wrist, elbow, knee and ankle.
Step 1
Cut the sheet of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, or EVA, into a rectangle with the box cutter knife to fit the area of the joint being immobilized. The wrist will be the smallest rectangle and the knee will be the largest. Make sure the rectangle covers a third of the limb before and after the joint. If you desire a bend in the joint, allow an extra inch in the EVA length.
Step 2
Put the EVA sheet into an oven that was preheated to 290 degrees, or the temperature suggested by the EVA manufacturer. The EVA should lie flat on the oven rack. Heat the EVA for two minutes.
Step 3
Using oven mitts, carefully remove the hot and now flexible EVA from the oven. Along each long side of the rectangle, curve up 2 inches of the entire edge while wearing the oven mitts. The final shape should resemble a gutter. This is now the basic shell.
Step 4
Gently bend the shell in half if a bend on the joint is desired. Make the bend so that when the limb is placed inside the shell, it is supported on both sides by the curved-up edges. The bend can be any angle desired, up to a right angle. If the EVA shell is not easily bendable, re-heat it for another minute, or as needed. This forms the final shell.
Step 5
Apply spray adhesive to the inside surface of the final shell, or the surface the limb will be touching. Lay the sheet of foam rubber against that side and apply brief pressure to affix the two surfaces. Make sure the foam rubber sticks well against the upturned sides, corners and all other surfaces. This forms the inside of the final shell. Use scissors to trim off any excess foam rubber.
Step 6
Add a few drops of hot melt glue to the outside of the shell. Attach one end of a Velcro strap to the hot glue. Make two Velcro attachments on each side of the joint, totaling four pieces of Velcro. The Velcro straps should be 1-inch wide for the wrist and 2-inches wide for the elbow, ankle and knee joints.
Step 7
Place the splint on your joint. Strap the Velcro straps around the limb and fasten them. Do not fasten them so tightly that they irritate or impede blood flow.
Tips and Warnings
- Other heat-moldable plastics such as Kydex are thicker and more rigid, which may make them more suitable for the knee and ankle joints.
- Use a heat gun to make bends or small adjustments to the shell. Never handle the hot plastic with bare hands.
Things You'll Need
- Sheet of heat-moldable plastic (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate)
- Foam rubber sheet
- Elmer's Multi-Purpose Spray Adhesive
- Glue gun
- Box cutter knife
- Scissors
- Kitchen oven with rack
- Two oven mitts
- 4 pieces of Velcro fastener, 12-inches long
References
- Fractures and Splinting
- American Family Physician: Principles of Casting and Splinting
- "Introduction to Splinting: A clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving Approach"; B. Coppard and H. Lohman; 2010
