In the United Kingdom, a trial is using wood-based casts as an ecofriendly and efficient replacement for the standard fiberglass cast in setting broken bones
Wooden casts have a number of advantages. In addition to biodegradability, they can be removed and remolded as the patients’ swelling is reduced. Fiberglass casts often need to be replaced every couple of weeks and require new material each time.
Charles Bee, a 72-year-old man who recently broke his wrist, told the Oxford Mail he used the wooden casts last year as part of an National Health Services study. “I went to hospital, I had an x-ray which confirmed I broke my wrist and was given a fiberglass cast,” he says. “Afterwards, I attended the fracture clinic at the John Radcliffe Hospital and I was asked if I wanted to try a new wooden splint as part of a clinical trial.” A major selling point of participation, he added, was how lightweight the wooden casts looked compared to the conventional cast.