Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Splinting devices are commonplace in emergency medicine, as musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries account for a majority of nonfatal events in wilderness medicine. Current splint designs, such as the SAM splint, sacrifice site-specific stability for their portability. This leads to the need for a similarly portable, but more securely fitting splint device. This design aims to provide a lightweight, multi-use, reusable, biodegradable, and inexpensive solution for splinting in wilderness medicine. A thin plate constructed of polylactic acid extruded from a 3D printer becomes easily malleable after submersion in hot water and can be form fitted to almost any location on the body. After use, it may be resubmerged in hot water and will return to its original flat shape for easy storage.
Keywords
Splints, Wilderness Medicine, 3D Printing, Three-Dimensional Printing
Disciplines
Emergency Medicine | Equipment and Supplies | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Medical Specialties
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Emergency Medicine Commons, Equipment and Supplies Commons, Other Medical Specialties Commons
Design and Preliminary Testing of a Multi-Use 3D-Printed Splint for Wilderness Medicine
Splinting devices are commonplace in emergency medicine, as musculoskeletal and soft tissue injuries account for a majority of nonfatal events in wilderness medicine. Current splint designs, such as the SAM splint, sacrifice site-specific stability for their portability. This leads to the need for a similarly portable, but more securely fitting splint device. This design aims to provide a lightweight, multi-use, reusable, biodegradable, and inexpensive solution for splinting in wilderness medicine. A thin plate constructed of polylactic acid extruded from a 3D printer becomes easily malleable after submersion in hot water and can be form fitted to almost any location on the body. After use, it may be resubmerged in hot water and will return to its original flat shape for easy storage.