What is a Thomas splint and Pearson attachment?

The Pearson attachment is attached by clamps to the Thomas splint at knee level. A canvas or bandage-strip sling supports the lower leg and provides the desired degree of knee flexion. A footplate is attached to the distal end of the Pearson attachment to support the foot in a neutral position.

How is Thomas splint length calculated?

Length. The length of the patient’s leg is measured, and twenty centimeters are added to establish the length of the Thomas’s splint.

What is the Thomas splint?

The modern “Thomas” splint is one of the most common pieces of medical equipment used in hospitals. It is a simple tool used to effectively immobilize limbs and has successfully reduced the morbidity and mortality that was once involved with limb fractures.

Is the Thomas splint still used today?

This splint is still used today in the treatment of some femoral fractures in children. The Thomas splint has also continued to prove its value in armed conflict.

What is Buck’s traction and when is it utilized?

Buck’s traction is a type of skin traction that is widely used for femoral, hip, and acetabular fractures, which are fractures in the socket portion of the “ball-and-socket” hip joint.

When do you use a Thomas splint?

Thomas, initially for immobilization for tuberculosis of the knee. It is now commonly used for the immobilization of hip and thigh injuries. The modified Thomas splint adapted the original Thomas splint to include a traction screw and foot plate and limb support built into the splint body.

What was a Thomas half-ring?

The Thomas half-ring splints consist of a padded half-circle of steel which is strapped to the hip, hinged to a U-shaped rod that extends along both sides of the leg. An ankle strap may be fashioned from cloth, and tied or twisted to apply traction force.

What was a Thomas half ring?

Why is it called Thomas splint?

It was only during the First World War that his techniques came to be used. Thomas advocated enforced rest as the best remedy for fractures and tuberculosis and created the so-called ‘Thomas Splint’ to stabilise a fractured femur and prevent infection.

What type of traction is Thomas splint?

Counter traction It should be noted that tightening the distal end of the traction cord forces the ring of the Thomas’s splint proximally, possibly risking pressure sores at the groin. To prevent this proximal displacement, counter traction with weights is applied to the end of the Thomas’s splint, as shown here.

What are two features of the Thomas splint?

It is comprised of a ring that encircles the top of the thigh at the hip joint, and two sturdy wires that run down the length of the leg on either side, joining at the ankle or below the foot.

What is the difference between Buck’s skin traction and skeletal traction?

The difference lies in where the pin, or base, is placed. Skeletal traction uses a pin inserted into your bone. In skin traction, a splint or adhesive is applied to your skin.

What type of traction is Buck’s traction?

What was the Thomas splint made of?

The splint is made from a canvas covered iron frame. Thomas-type splints were ideally used shortly after the injury had occurred and they greatly reduced the death rate from fractures.

Why was the Thomas splint invented?

The Thomas Splint was first described by Liverpool surgeon and bone-setter Hugh Owen Thomas in 1875 in his book “Diseases of the Hip, Knee and Ankle”. It was originally designed to provide immobilisation to treat both tuberculous joints and fractures of the femur by mechanical and physiologic rest.

Why was the Thomas splint useful?

The Thomas Splint allows access to wounds for dressing and cleaning, while immobilising the limb, reducing pain and the risk of further damage and severe haemorrhage.

Why is Buck’s traction used?

Buck’s skin traction is widely used in the lower limb for femoral fractures, lower backache, acetabular and hip fractures. Skin traction rarely reduces a fracture, but reduces pain and maintains length in fractures. The skin is prepared and shaved -it must be dry. Friar’s balsam may be used to improve adhesion.

Was the Thomas splint successful?

This splint revolutionised the manner in which men injured in the First World War were treated. Introduced in 1916 to the Front, the Thomas splint reduced the rate of mortality from fractures (of the femur in particular) from 80% to 20%, in 1918.

What did the Thomas splint change the survival rate of leg wounds to?

When the Thomas Splint was consistently used, an enormous reduction in the mortality rate of soldiers with severe thigh injuries was observed. While not solely because of the introduction of use of the Thomas Splint, it is believed to have played a large role in reducing the mortality rate from over 80% to just 15.6%.

Which parts does Thomas suspension splint support?

Thomas splint two iron rods joined at the upper end by an oval iron ring or half-ring, and bent at the lower end to form a W shape; used to give support to the lower limb and remove the weight of the body from the knee joint by transferring it to the pelvis.