An Easy Guide to Outpatient Burn Rehabilitation

Splints

(1 min. 35 sec./984K QuickTime movie) *

Hand splint: "A positional hand splint may vary in the way that it looks, but it usually covers the forearm, the wrist, the palm, and the fingers. It's important, because many burn patients develop contractures in the hand. It's held on tight with Velcro(TM) straps. Make sure that you pull the fingers down so that they fit snugly into the splint."

"Another important point is to make sure that you maintain the web burn4.mov space. This will aid the person in getting more function out of their hand. The splint should be worn all night, and sometimes during the day when activity is not required of the hand."

Neck splint: "Because the neck is an area of high flexibility, it runs the risk of contracture, when a scar would grow between the chin and the chest. If uncontrolled, the scar will fill in the gap between the chin and the chest, limiting function and breathing."

"To prevent a contracture, you make a neck conformer, to maintain the angle between the chin and the neck. As you can see, it fits closely around the chin and along the interior part of the neck. There should be no gapping between the chin and the splint, and the lips should be left free. Also, there should be a space between the ear and the splint, and it's held in tight along the neck with Velcro(TM) straps."

*Go to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/ for latest QuickTime releases for Mac OS, Windows 3.1, and Windows 95/NT. Use the "Easy Download" option in most cases. Be sure to configure your browser to use QuickTime software to view movies.

[ An Easy Guide to Outpatient Burn Rehabilitation: Splints ]

Top