Cast types and maintenance
Disease Information
Overview
A cast holds a broken bone in place as it heals. Casts also help to prevent or decrease muscle contractions, and are effective at providing immobilization, especially after surgery.
Casts immobilize the joint above and the joint below the area that is to be kept straight and without motion. For example, a child with a forearm fracture will have a long arm cast to immobilize the wrist and elbow joints.
How Boston Children's Hospital approaches cast types and maintenance
Because of the restrictions a cast can put on your child's every day life, doctors at Children's are committed to making recovery time for your child as comfortable as possible. This includes instructions on how to take care of the cast, how to take care of the skin and when to return to Children's for assistance.
