Cast Care

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Medical Author:

Jennifer L Brown, MD, FACEP

Coauthor:

Richard S Krause, MD

Medical Editor:

Scott H Plantz, MD, FAAEM

Medical Editor:

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD

Medical Editor:

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

View Full Profile

• Cast Care Introduction
• Fracture Types and Healing
• How Casts Are Applied
• Ice and Elevation
• Taking Care of Your Cast
• How a Cast Is Removed
• Complications
• When to Call Your Doctor
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Author and Editor
• Read more on Cast Care from Healthwise

• The function of a cast is to rigidly protect an injured bone or joint. It serves to hold the broken bone in proper alignment to prevent it from moving while it heals.
• Casts may also be used to help rest a bone or joint to relieve pain that is caused by moving it (such as when a severe sprain occurs, but no broken bones).
• Different types of casts and splints are available, depending on the reason for the immobilization and/or the type of fracture.
• Casts are usually made of either plaster or fiberglass material.