How to Apply a Short Leg Fiberglass Cast
- 1). Position the foot at a 90-degree angle to the leg. This is called a neutral position, and will make walking more comfortable.
- 2). Slip a stockinette, which is a soft, surgically sanitary sleeve, onto the foot and lower leg. It should extend a few inches past the ends of the toes. Cut a dart in any excess material located at the joint of the foot and leg to make it lie flat.
- 3). Set the foot on a cast stand, which will hold it at the 90-degree angle. You will wrap the rest of the material around the foot and stand.
- 4). Begin wrapping rolled padding halfway up the toes, leaving the tips unwrapped. Wrap it around the toes a few times, then wrap around the ankle a few times in a figure-eight.
- 5). Wrap the entire lower leg, from below the knee to above the toes, with rolled padding. Apply several layers to prevent the fiberglass from rubbing against the leg.
- 6). Put on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- 7). Unwrap a roll of 4-inch fiberglass bandage and dunk it into a bucket of water. Squeeze the roll slightly to fully saturate the fiberglass. The water activates the curing process.
- 8). Wrap the foot in a layer of fiberglass bandages, beginning midway up the toes. The padding should extend slightly from the bandage.
- 9). Wrap the bandage up and around the ankle in a figure-eight pattern and back down the foot. Continue wrapping the foot and ankle until the roll is used up.
- 10
Make a few 1-inch cuts in the fiberglass around the foot. Fold the fiberglass back to strengthen the end. - 11
Pull the stockinette back from the toes and over the fiberglass. This procedure provides a barrier between the fiberglass and the end of the cast, preventing the foot from rubbing against fiberglass. All five toes should be exposed. - 12
Prepare a second roll of fiberglass bandages. - 13
Wrap the upper portion of the leg, moving from the ankle to the top and back again, until the roll is used up. Wrap over the pulled-back stockinette at the bottom, leaving only a small band of fabric exposed around the toes. - 14
Pull the stockinette at the top of the cast down over the fiberglass, the same way you pulled it up at the toes. - 15
Prepare a final roll of fiberglass bandages and wrap it around the entire cast, from top to bottom. Leave a small ring of fabric exposed at the top of the cast as you did at the toes. - 16
Smooth out the entire cast with water. - 17
Slide the foot and cast off of the stand. - 18
Ensure that the foot is still at a 90-degree angle. If it is not, reposition it before the fiberglass hardens.
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