Sager® Emergency Traction Splints and the Minto Fracture Kit
35
8
Sager® Splints provide medial splinting and traction as well
as prevention of internal and external rotation. Is this less
desirable than posterior splinting?
No
, not at all. One might consider posterior splinting as most desirable if one was
transporting a patient without the use of a basket, spine board, and/or stretcher. This never
happens, so why provide posterior support on a device that requires posterior support to
be effective?
Remember:
•
Ischial Pad Traction Splints must have a firm support beneath them in order to work and
not slip off the Ischial Tuberosity. Example: It is difficult to apply these devices in snow.
•
Time motion studies clearly reveal; an economy of time, decrease of unnecessary steps,
decreased movement of the patient, and, a decrease in morbidity moving the patient
from the place of injury to the hospital when a Sager® Splint is used.
•
Immobilization is better using a Sager® Splint if the patient has a proximal fracture of
the femur – which is the most common type of femoral fracture.
•
Sager’s splinting system works well with a Spine-board or stretcher.
9
Other splints utilize the outside (lateral side) of the leg. Can Sager®
Splints be placed and utilized on the outside of the leg?
Sager® Splints were designed to be used in the same manner as that used in orthopedic
operating theatres when open reduction and splinting is needed to treat a fractured
femur. The splint is placed against the ischial tuberosity medial to the shaft of the femur.
This avoids point pressure on the sciatic nerve as well as other vascular and soft tissue
structures. It also provides the safest mode for reduction of the fracture.
Lateral placed splints utilize a sling. Among other concerns, with the use of a sling there
is no direct point of countertraction against the ischial tuberosity medial to the shaft of
the femur. A direct point of countertraction creates optimum alignment of the fracture.
10
Will the elasticized leg cravats (straps) used with Sager® Splints be
harmful if applied directly over the fracture site?
No. The limb is immobilized by traction helping to bring the fractured bones into alignment.
The three elasticized straps splint the leg further immobilizing it and at the same time help
to decrease the blood loss at the fracture site.
11
Sager® Splints provide dynamic traction in pounds and kilograms.
What happens if the calibrated spring breaks?
In over 30 years of use there has never been an instance of the spring breaking.
Minto Breakaway Flat model B101,
(Standard Flat).
fig 26
