Chris Carr-Ansah Omar Abdelrahman
Questions:
How can we create as cast that does not need a waterproof cover while not letting water come underneath the cast? How can the cast let the air and sweat release from the cast, while being as secure as a regular cast? How can the cast let in sun and absorb Vitamin D and not tan your skin?
Hypothesis:
This will help the fractured area not lose any Vitamin D while not having too many UV rays coming on your skin and giving it a sun burn. The holes will be right on the skin and will not let in any water that will grow mold and will allow any sweat or heat radiating of your skin to evaporate from the inside of the cast.
This will help the fractured area not lose any Vitamin D while not having too many UV rays coming on your skin and giving it a sun burn. The holes will be right on the skin and will not let in any water that will grow mold and will allow any sweat or heat radiating of your skin to evaporate from the inside of the cast.
Research:
When there is a lot of pressure put on the bone that it cannot handle, the bone will split, crack or break. Different kinds of fractures, dislocations, lacerations, sprains, and hyperextensions may lead to needing a cast for several weeks. A fracture is when the bone is not in one piece of is split, cracked, etc. A dislocation is when a bone is not connected to the proper joint, or not connected at all. A hyperextension is when a bone or joint is overly bent or rotated to the point of being backwards.
A broken bone is called a fracture. If the bone punctures through the skin, it is called a compound (open) fracture. A simple (closed) fracture is when the bone does not puncture the skin. When the bone is in many small fragments, it is considered a comminuted fracture. A greenstick fracture is a slight split in a bone (often with children considering their smaller bone density enhancing their flexibility in there bone). Repetitive force from movements such as running or jogging is called a hairline (stress) fracture. Compression fractures happen while two bones are forcing against one another, often in the spine. People with osteoporosis are in a higher risk of compression fractures (often the elderly). When tendons are pulled off a bone by a powerful muscle (while taking a piece of the bone) is called an avulsion fracture. And lastly, when organs around the bone (blood streams, nerves, etc.) are damaged, it is termed as a complicated fracture.
Causes of broken bones may be a fall, vehicle accident, hard hit, or repetitive force. Symptoms may include swelling, bruising, bleeding, not being able to move on that fractured area, and especially excruciating pain. Symptoms of a hyperextension may be a limb bending the way it is not supposed to be, and a lack of control in the arm. Some for a dislocation is not being able to control the limb of an out of place look, as in it is not attached the proper body part, or not attached at all.
Casts are used to keep a fracture, dislocation, or hyperextension in a neutral position securely. All cast that have been made are not translucent or allow air to flow in and out of the cast. This will not allow the skin underneath the cast to get any sunlight, which is an excellent source of vitamin D. The non-air flow in and out of the cast will lead to a sweaty, bacteria covered skin which can cause skin diseases.
Orthopedic casts are used for different kinds of purposes. Splints are used to stop a broken limb from moving. To hold bone pieces together, doctors would surgically place metal plates or rods to keep them together. Braces are used to support the bone from getting out of place. Plaster casts (what we are improving on) immobilizes the bone until it heals.
Casts can take up to a whole hour to create over an arm, leg, etc. That is another hour that you have to go through with agonizing pain. A normal cast’s weight may in fact put more pressure on the fractured bone, therefore giving it a longer healing time.
Materials and Equipment:
-Water
-Thermometer
-Pot
-Stove or controlled Heater
-Petroleum Jelly
-Friendly Plastic Pellets
-Timer
- Easy, mobile heater (e.g. hair dryer)
-Spoon
Safety:
-Do not keep your hand in the hot water
-Do not leave the pellets in the water for too long
-Do not over heat the pot
-Use no more than 1 mL of cooking oil
-Do not have any in your, mouth, ears or eyes
After cast is on
-While cast is on, do not do any physical activities that put force on the fracture
-Rest fracture as much as possible
-If itchy, blow cool hairdryer underneath the cast
-Avoid water from getting on the cast as much as possible
-If increased pain, blueness, swelling, loss of movement in toes and fingers, numbness, etc. occur, see a doctor immediately
Procedure:
1) Begin to heat water at approximately 63°C in the pot
2) While the water is being heated, thoroughly rub the petroleum jelly on the skin where the fracture is located
3) Add a drop of cooking oil into the pot with the water
4) Stir the oil in the pot evenly
5) When the water is at the correct temperature, slowly place the pellets into the pot
6) Use the timer to measure the 3-5 minutes that the pellets should be in the water
7) Stir the water and the pellets in the pan until all the pellets are molded together
8) Have your limb in a neutral position (almost straight, not moving)
9) When the time is completed, use the spoon to remove the pellets from the pot
10) Quickly, and use your hands to mold the pellets that are together around the fractured bone tightly
11) Let the pellets dry out
If changes are needed:
1) If the cast is too opaque, or out of shape use the mobile heater to slowly reheat the mold
2) Use your hands to remove some of the mold
3) Reshape the cast to make a slightly thinner cast to increase translucency
4) Let the pellets dry
5) Continue this process until successful
Qualitative Data (Observations):
Day 1
-Test on a Gatorade Sport Bottle to represent an arm
-Petroleum jelly on bottle
-Placed popsicle sticks vertically down the bottle
-Wrapped packing tape around the bottle
-Removed tape from bottle with scissors along the popsicle sticks so the fake arm will not get cut
-Used one hole puncher to poke holes through the cast to allow air flow
-Spread the varnish resin and hardener mixed together with translucent blue dye
-Sealed cast back into it cylinder shape form
Day 2
-The resin on the cast has still not hardened or become dry
-Cast unsuccessful
Day 3
-Test trial on a pencil without petroleum jelly
-Space left over underneath under the cast because petroleum jelly did not absorb into the pencil
-Very thick and virtually unbreakable
-Not translucent
Day 4
-Test trial on pencil with petroleum jelly
-Thinner layer increased translucency
-Holes were created to increase air flow
-Slightly weaker than the first cast
Day 5
-Cast was successful
-Was semi-translucent while finger is in the cast
-Is as secure as a normal cast
-Does not maintain its strength after being remolded multiple times
-Mild odor is released from pellets while in water
-Slowly turns opaque while being hardened
-A thinner cover of the pellets will provide a more translucent cast
-The thinner the cast is, the weaker and less secure the cast will be
-A thicker cover of pellets will create a more opaque cast
-The thicker the cast is, the stronger and more secure the cast will be
The pellets turn more translucent while being heated for remolding
-Did not absorb any water
Conclusion:
To conclude, our project of creating a cast that was lighter, breathable, and more translucent was successful. It did not need a waterproof cover because of the material and how the water could not absorb into the cast. The material that we used was not fully clear when hardened. But when heated at 40°C or higher, the pellets are more translucent than in its solid state.
We used the pellets to mold a finger cast. We created the cast for a finger because we did not want to wear an arm cast, or a leg cast for the whole day at the science fair without being injured because we won’t be moving as efficiently as we would without a cast. We poked holes in the cast to allow airflow onto the skin. The holes also allowed water to keep the skin healthy and clean from any infections or diseases that may be caused from lack of oxygen on the skin.
We observed the pellets state of form being at many small sphere, then into a very soft, flexible, clear solid, then back into a solid not as clear as when it was heated, but was barely translucent and was really hard after it cooled down. We placed half a teaspoon of cooking oil into the water when we were heating up the pellets so that it would not stick to the pot we used a meat thermometer in the pot with the pellets to make sure the water around the pellets were at a temperature around 63°C. That is a safe temperature to use, considering that athletes used this temperature to mold their mouth guards
The finger cast that we created is easily removable, if you remove the tape at the bottom. But the cast is still very hard, tight, stable, and safe against making contact with other objects, such as the corner of a table. The cast unlike many other casts are very light weight and will not put any stress on your fracture. When we used our finger cast on ourselves, it was almost weightless because the fracture has a lot of air flow, so it felt like the cast was not even there. Wearing the cast on will not keep your skin sweaty. Underneath because the hot sweat has the space to evaporate out from the holes.
We can improve by finding a better material that is clearer than the product that we are using right now. We could improve on the time it takes to make a cast and try and find a better way to keep the pellets in its moldable form for a longer period of time to make a better finishing product. The cast took us approximately 10 minutes, but we could have done it faster.
Application:
The clear cast can benefit the field of fractures, dislocations, and hyperextensions substantially. This will not allow people to have a more comfortable, less difficult experience with a cast. With normal casts, you will need a waterproof cover, while in the shower for example. Because of the holes, the water will not stay in the cast and feed any bacteria and grow any other species of mold. Heat and sweat will also be able to evaporate out from underneath the holes in the cast. The cast’s semi-translucency will allow the sunlight into the cast. Our whole body needs its vitamin D and the sun is a very good source of for the skin, therefore being essential for the cast to be clear.
This cast does not always have to be used on humans. This cast does not contain products that animals cannot handle or are allergic to. Friendly plastic pellets have natural ingredients and are gentle to skin. This can also help animal fractures, dislocations, and hyperextensions.
This can be used in the future to see the effects of the skin over a fracture over time. Scans to see under the cast, but over the skin, like CT’s, will not be necessary. The semi-translucency will make seeing underneath the cast simple. Removing the cast or using a complicated method to get it off will not be required for the cast we have invented.
When there is a lot of pressure put on the bone that it cannot handle, the bone will split, crack or break. Different kinds of fractures, dislocations, lacerations, sprains, and hyperextensions may lead to needing a cast for several weeks. A fracture is when the bone is not in one piece of is split, cracked, etc. A dislocation is when a bone is not connected to the proper joint, or not connected at all. A hyperextension is when a bone or joint is overly bent or rotated to the point of being backwards.
A broken bone is called a fracture. If the bone punctures through the skin, it is called a compound (open) fracture. A simple (closed) fracture is when the bone does not puncture the skin. When the bone is in many small fragments, it is considered a comminuted fracture. A greenstick fracture is a slight split in a bone (often with children considering their smaller bone density enhancing their flexibility in there bone). Repetitive force from movements such as running or jogging is called a hairline (stress) fracture. Compression fractures happen while two bones are forcing against one another, often in the spine. People with osteoporosis are in a higher risk of compression fractures (often the elderly). When tendons are pulled off a bone by a powerful muscle (while taking a piece of the bone) is called an avulsion fracture. And lastly, when organs around the bone (blood streams, nerves, etc.) are damaged, it is termed as a complicated fracture.
Causes of broken bones may be a fall, vehicle accident, hard hit, or repetitive force. Symptoms may include swelling, bruising, bleeding, not being able to move on that fractured area, and especially excruciating pain. Symptoms of a hyperextension may be a limb bending the way it is not supposed to be, and a lack of control in the arm. Some for a dislocation is not being able to control the limb of an out of place look, as in it is not attached the proper body part, or not attached at all.
Casts are used to keep a fracture, dislocation, or hyperextension in a neutral position securely. All cast that have been made are not translucent or allow air to flow in and out of the cast. This will not allow the skin underneath the cast to get any sunlight, which is an excellent source of vitamin D. The non-air flow in and out of the cast will lead to a sweaty, bacteria covered skin which can cause skin diseases.
Orthopedic casts are used for different kinds of purposes. Splints are used to stop a broken limb from moving. To hold bone pieces together, doctors would surgically place metal plates or rods to keep them together. Braces are used to support the bone from getting out of place. Plaster casts (what we are improving on) immobilizes the bone until it heals.
Casts can take up to a whole hour to create over an arm, leg, etc. That is another hour that you have to go through with agonizing pain. A normal cast’s weight may in fact put more pressure on the fractured bone, therefore giving it a longer healing time.
Materials and Equipment:
-Water
-Thermometer
-Pot
-Stove or controlled Heater
-Petroleum Jelly
-Friendly Plastic Pellets
-Timer
- Easy, mobile heater (e.g. hair dryer)
-Spoon
Safety:
-Do not keep your hand in the hot water
-Do not leave the pellets in the water for too long
-Do not over heat the pot
-Use no more than 1 mL of cooking oil
-Do not have any in your, mouth, ears or eyes
After cast is on
-While cast is on, do not do any physical activities that put force on the fracture
-Rest fracture as much as possible
-If itchy, blow cool hairdryer underneath the cast
-Avoid water from getting on the cast as much as possible
-If increased pain, blueness, swelling, loss of movement in toes and fingers, numbness, etc. occur, see a doctor immediately
Procedure:
1) Begin to heat water at approximately 63°C in the pot
2) While the water is being heated, thoroughly rub the petroleum jelly on the skin where the fracture is located
3) Add a drop of cooking oil into the pot with the water
4) Stir the oil in the pot evenly
5) When the water is at the correct temperature, slowly place the pellets into the pot
6) Use the timer to measure the 3-5 minutes that the pellets should be in the water
7) Stir the water and the pellets in the pan until all the pellets are molded together
8) Have your limb in a neutral position (almost straight, not moving)
9) When the time is completed, use the spoon to remove the pellets from the pot
10) Quickly, and use your hands to mold the pellets that are together around the fractured bone tightly
11) Let the pellets dry out
If changes are needed:
1) If the cast is too opaque, or out of shape use the mobile heater to slowly reheat the mold
2) Use your hands to remove some of the mold
3) Reshape the cast to make a slightly thinner cast to increase translucency
4) Let the pellets dry
5) Continue this process until successful
Qualitative Data (Observations):
Day 1
-Test on a Gatorade Sport Bottle to represent an arm
-Petroleum jelly on bottle
-Placed popsicle sticks vertically down the bottle
-Wrapped packing tape around the bottle
-Removed tape from bottle with scissors along the popsicle sticks so the fake arm will not get cut
-Used one hole puncher to poke holes through the cast to allow air flow
-Spread the varnish resin and hardener mixed together with translucent blue dye
-Sealed cast back into it cylinder shape form
Day 2
-The resin on the cast has still not hardened or become dry
-Cast unsuccessful
Day 3
-Test trial on a pencil without petroleum jelly
-Space left over underneath under the cast because petroleum jelly did not absorb into the pencil
-Very thick and virtually unbreakable
-Not translucent
Day 4
-Test trial on pencil with petroleum jelly
-Thinner layer increased translucency
-Holes were created to increase air flow
-Slightly weaker than the first cast
Day 5
-Cast was successful
-Was semi-translucent while finger is in the cast
-Is as secure as a normal cast
-Does not maintain its strength after being remolded multiple times
-Mild odor is released from pellets while in water
-Slowly turns opaque while being hardened
-A thinner cover of the pellets will provide a more translucent cast
-The thinner the cast is, the weaker and less secure the cast will be
-A thicker cover of pellets will create a more opaque cast
-The thicker the cast is, the stronger and more secure the cast will be
The pellets turn more translucent while being heated for remolding
-Did not absorb any water
Conclusion:
To conclude, our project of creating a cast that was lighter, breathable, and more translucent was successful. It did not need a waterproof cover because of the material and how the water could not absorb into the cast. The material that we used was not fully clear when hardened. But when heated at 40°C or higher, the pellets are more translucent than in its solid state.
We used the pellets to mold a finger cast. We created the cast for a finger because we did not want to wear an arm cast, or a leg cast for the whole day at the science fair without being injured because we won’t be moving as efficiently as we would without a cast. We poked holes in the cast to allow airflow onto the skin. The holes also allowed water to keep the skin healthy and clean from any infections or diseases that may be caused from lack of oxygen on the skin.
We observed the pellets state of form being at many small sphere, then into a very soft, flexible, clear solid, then back into a solid not as clear as when it was heated, but was barely translucent and was really hard after it cooled down. We placed half a teaspoon of cooking oil into the water when we were heating up the pellets so that it would not stick to the pot we used a meat thermometer in the pot with the pellets to make sure the water around the pellets were at a temperature around 63°C. That is a safe temperature to use, considering that athletes used this temperature to mold their mouth guards
The finger cast that we created is easily removable, if you remove the tape at the bottom. But the cast is still very hard, tight, stable, and safe against making contact with other objects, such as the corner of a table. The cast unlike many other casts are very light weight and will not put any stress on your fracture. When we used our finger cast on ourselves, it was almost weightless because the fracture has a lot of air flow, so it felt like the cast was not even there. Wearing the cast on will not keep your skin sweaty. Underneath because the hot sweat has the space to evaporate out from the holes.
We can improve by finding a better material that is clearer than the product that we are using right now. We could improve on the time it takes to make a cast and try and find a better way to keep the pellets in its moldable form for a longer period of time to make a better finishing product. The cast took us approximately 10 minutes, but we could have done it faster.
Application:
The clear cast can benefit the field of fractures, dislocations, and hyperextensions substantially. This will not allow people to have a more comfortable, less difficult experience with a cast. With normal casts, you will need a waterproof cover, while in the shower for example. Because of the holes, the water will not stay in the cast and feed any bacteria and grow any other species of mold. Heat and sweat will also be able to evaporate out from underneath the holes in the cast. The cast’s semi-translucency will allow the sunlight into the cast. Our whole body needs its vitamin D and the sun is a very good source of for the skin, therefore being essential for the cast to be clear.
This cast does not always have to be used on humans. This cast does not contain products that animals cannot handle or are allergic to. Friendly plastic pellets have natural ingredients and are gentle to skin. This can also help animal fractures, dislocations, and hyperextensions.
This can be used in the future to see the effects of the skin over a fracture over time. Scans to see under the cast, but over the skin, like CT’s, will not be necessary. The semi-translucency will make seeing underneath the cast simple. Removing the cast or using a complicated method to get it off will not be required for the cast we have invented.