On average, the duration of a person in gypsum with a moderate fracture is about three weeks. The younger the patient, the faster the bones grow together. Older people can walk with plaster for up to three months. Consider how to remove gypsum, depending on its variety. Find out if you can do it yourself.
Plaster Origin History
Gypsum has been used for more than 150 years to fix a certain position of the limbs and skeleton in fractures. For the first time, the Russian surgeon Karl Gibenthal successfully tested casting in 1811. He poured a damaged limb with gypsum mortar on one side and the other, let them harden, and then wrapped them with bandages. In 1851, special dressings made of fabric appeared that were specially rubbed with plaster. In order to apply a bandage, it had to be pre-soaked.
A plaster cast is a prototype of a modern fixator, which is used for fractures of the limbs and skeleton. The technique of making gypsum dressings is being improved every day. Now they can be purchased in different lengths and widths, and they are made not by hand, but in the factory.
Varieties of gypsum in medicine
Before you begin to familiarize yourself with how to remove gypsum, it is worthwhile to find out what types of fixatives are. The process of their removal directly depends on this.
Standard plaster casts cause significant discomfort to patients. She not only fetters movement, but also to wash, for example, with a fracture of a leg or arm is almost impossible. It is impossible to wet gypsum, and gypsum crumbs that break off from the inside cause itching. The doctors themselves also note the negative factors: it is practically impossible to monitor how bone fusion proceeds, since the plaster cast does not transmit X-rays well.
Recently, doctors have been developing new methods and varieties of fixatives, which over time will replace traditional gypsum.
Gypsum alternative:
- Plastic. The clamp is made of polymeric materials. First, it sinks into water, then, according to a certain pattern, wraps itself around a limb until it completely dries. The principle of its action is not much different from the traditional one, but such dressings are lighter in weight and do not bring significant discomfort when moving. You are wondering how to remove plastic gypsum - it is impossible to get rid of it using the traditional method of cutting material, here you need a special file. Its advantages are that it allows the skin to “breathe” and is waterproof.
- Semi-rigid dressings. They are made of special fiber or thermoplastic. The latch is resilient, does not constrain movements, but maintains a broken bone in the correct position. It is easy to take an X-ray in it if necessary to monitor the state of bone fusion. Removing such a cast is easy. You can just unwind, but there are also models that are equipped with a zipper-fastener. This facilitates the process of physiotherapeutic procedures if necessary. Among the minuses, it is worth noting that semi-rigid dressings are not used for all types of fractures.
- Shortened gypsum. It has been used only a little over 20 years, but is not used in ordinary clinics or emergency rooms, since it requires a certain qualification of a doctor. Most often, this type of gypsum is applied during an ankle or ankle fracture, is not used for open fractures or immediately after surgery. It is noted that it is easier to remove and control the healing process. It less damages nearby tissue fractures.
After how much is the plaster removed?
How long it takes to wear gypsum is calculated only by a specialist. For this, the nature of the fracture is taken into account. The speed of recovery depends on the location of the injury, the age of the patient and the severity of the fracture itself. Doctors give only average figures regarding the wearing of plaster.
In case of ankle fracture without displacement, gypsum is applied for 20-25 days, with displacement - up to 35 days. Fracture of the lower leg is considered more complex, gypsum is worn up to 12 weeks. With a broken foot without displacement in a plaster cast, it will take up to seven weeks, with displacement - almost three months.
A fracture of the arm is considered a simple injury, and usually the period of wearing plaster is limited to a month. Some patients ask if plaster can be removed to wash. When using a traditional plaster cast, this is not possible, so you have to wrap your hand in a bag and take a bath.
How is gypsum removed?
The technique of removing a plaster cast, regardless of the fracture site, is almost the same. It is important to be careful not to hurt the patient. If the dressing is thick, it is cut with special scissors or nail files in two steps. Sometimes in order to remove gypsum, it is pre-soaked in a solution of sodium chloride.
Doctors note that it is still necessary to remove the gypsum under the supervision of a doctor, since there is a high probability of damage to the injured area. After removing the dressing, the skin is washed with soap and water and treated with an antiseptic.
The plaster cast bandage is removed as a normal bandage, the upper layer is gradually unwound. The bandages that secure the brace are cut with Cooper's scissors and beak-shaped forceps.
There are also special gypsum scissors, but on the bandage you must first mark the places that will be cut.
How to remove gypsum at home: instructions
To remove the gypsum yourself, you should take a sharp knife, tailor scissors, possibly nippers and water. But before that, you should still consult with your doctor not only about the removal technique, but also about how to develop a limb after a fracture so that the recovery process goes as quickly and easily as possible.
How to remove gypsum yourself?
- The easiest way is to soak a plaster cast. This can be done even without assistance.
- Use the dry method, then you need scissors and a sharp knife. The limb under the gypsum loses weight over time, so the scissors easily go there to make a small incision (top-down) and just pull the lock.
The gypsum is not cut and punctured from the outside, since in this way you can not calculate the force and stick the tip directly into the skin. This process is slow, it’s worth cutting into pieces. While plaster is removed from the leg, sharp movements are best avoided, as this can cause pain. The most difficult thing is to tear pieces or crumbs of gypsum from the hairs on the limbs. For this, lotions with warm water are used.
After the plaster is removed from the leg, it is worthwhile to use crutches for some time, since the muscles have time to atrophy during this time, and they need to be developed.
Conclusion
The moment of plaster removal is the most important. This can be done independently with the permission of the doctor, but you need to act carefully. If you can remove plaster from the lower extremities without outside help, then it’s more difficult to do it by hand. It is important not to rush, do everything slowly, give the limbs time to recover. For this, special gymnastics, stretching or physiotherapeutic procedures are suitable.