How to: Soft Cast

Soft cast consists of a knitted fiberglass fabric that has an embedded polyurethane resin. When the fabric is submerged in water, the polyurethane resin chemically reacts with the water. This reaction makes the resin set or cure and become a semi-rigid, flexible and soft material. Soft casts allow muscles to move so that they do not atrophy or weaken while in a cast. You can use soft cast to wrap soft tissue injuries and orthopedic casting.

Things You'll Need

• Surgical or examination gloves
• Synthetic stocking net or Stockinet
• Synthetic cast padding
• Hot water
• Sterilized pan
• Soft cast

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Instructions

• 1

  Put on surgical or examination gloves to protect your hands from the uncured resin. Take care when removing the soft cast resin from its packaging as it will stick to anything that it touches, including your clothing and skin.

• 2

  Place a layer of the synthetic stocking net or Stockinet over the broken limb. Wrap the synthetic cast padding around pressure points and bony prominences. If the broken limb needs a compression wrap, apply cast padding to the entire area that is to be cast.

• 3

  Open the soft cast roll wrapping one at a time. Place 70 degree Fahrenheit to 75 degree Fahrenheit water into the sterilized pan. Submerge one soft cast roll into the water and give it three firm squeezes to activate its polyurethane resin. If you need more than three minutes to wrap the broken limb, just submerge the cast in the water and immediately remove it to slow down its setting time.

• 4

  Start to wrap the broken limb in a spiral pattern while pulling to give the wrapping a slight tension and ensure a snug fit, but not one that is excessively tight. Overlap the previous layer of wrapping by one half or two thirds the width of the wrap. Stop stretching or pulling on the wrap when you reach the last 8 to 12 inches of the roll. Apply as many layers as needed to support the broken limb.

• 5

  Rub down the surface of the wrappings to smooth them out and ensure that they have all come into contact with the cast padding. Mold the wrap into the correct shape with your hands around the limb. Have the person wait 10 minutes before resuming any activities.