splint

In medicine, a structure used to immobilize a broken or diseased limb. Splints may be made of any material, for example wood, leather, zinc, aluminium, or perspex.

A fractured limb may be immobilized in an inflatable plastic splint as a first-aid measure, and a more permanent and less bulky splint applied later, moulded to the shape of the limb, for example plaster-of-Paris bandages, applied wet and allowed to harden, or glass-fibre bandages, which are lighter and more waterproof.

Other splints are available for treatment of deformities and diseased limbs. Lively splints, which give support while at the same time allowing movement against tension springs, are used to restore hand function. Padded splints are used for babies with congenital dislocation of the hips. The legs are held in such a position that the hip joint develops normally.