Having a broken arm can definitely be a hassle. Aside from the unbearable pain, there’s also the undeniable discomfort that wearing a plaster cast brings. Luckily, a Chicago-based startup has finally come up with a viable alternative for the uncomfortable, itchy, and smelly casts. Introducing Cast21’s Osteon Defender, a lightweight, breathable, and waterproof cast for broken bones and joint care.
Among the common problems that patients encounter with standard casts is being unable to clean underneath the plaster. This is, of course, unhygienic and can lead to skin irritation and other infections. But, with Cast21’s revolutionary cast alternative, patients can freely wash their injured hands or even scratch them for that matter.
Say goodbye to uncomfortable, itchy, and smelly casts with Cast21’s Osteon Defender
It’s lightweight, breathable, and most importantly, waterproof
This is all thanks to its open lattice, net-like design, which leaves the skin accessible to any physical activity. As such, patients can go on about their daily activities without having to worry about damaging their casts. Moreover, this cast alternative is also way easier to remove than traditional casts. All it takes is just a snip at the top using a pair of scissors—no scary saws required.
So, patients can still go on about their daily activities without any worries
How does it work?
Putting on this cast alternative is a breeze. In fact, the entire procedure takes less than ten minutes to complete. To start off, physicians use a flexible tape to get the exact measurements of the injured arm. Afterward, they slide a flexible, mesh-like sleeve onto their patient’s arm. This sleeve is then filled with liquid resins which turn into a malleable gel in just three minutes or less.
The doctor can then proceed to mold the product to fit the patient’s arm perfectly. It should take another five to seven minutes for the solution to completely harden and set the bone in place. Another great thing about this cast alternative is that there’s a wide variety of liquid resin colors to choose from. So patients don’t have to deal with boring and plain-looking casts anymore.
There’s even a wide variety of colors to choose from
As per Veronica Hogg, Cast21’s vice president of engineering, their goal is “to make the healing process far more pleasant for the patient.”
“Another bonus is that no electricity or water is needed to apply our cast, so it’s very portable.”
Plus, it’s so easy to clean
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Hogg also revealed that the product is “past the prototype stage.” However, the Osteon Defender is not yet widely available as of writing. She also shared that the company hopes to cater to more injuries in the future.
“Right now we can treat what’s known as “distal radial fractures” or DR fractures, that’s a catch-all term for any fracture of the radius that occurs close to the wrist. We hope this technology can span across the entire body. We are looking forward to having a lower limb model for ankle fractures soon.”
The brilliant minds behind Cast21’s waterproof cast
If you’re a medical provider or simply a patient with a broken arm, you may visit Cast21’s website to learn more about their waterproof cast.
Here’s what people have to say about this cast alternative
