CASTS TAKE ON VARIETY OF COLOR

Samples of fiberglass cast material are shown to patients.

Though broken bones are never pleasant, wearing a cast traditionally yielded the consolation of showing an artistic flair by creating a montage of signatures and drawings added by friends.

But modern casts have taken an even more eye-catching turn with the casts themselves available in a variety of colors and patterns, some even featuring popular cartoon characters or professional sports team logos.

Until a decade ago, plaster was the common material out of which casts were made.

According to Dr. Bill Wester of Orthopaedic Associates in Cape Girardeau, using plaster of Paris casts to hold broken bones in place had been common practice since the 1700s when the technique was discovers by a French surgeon in the army of Napoleon.

In recent years, however, fiberglass casting tape has replaced plaster as the primary material for casts.

"It's much more durable, a lot lighter, easier to deal with and relatively water proof," Wester said.

Although fiberglass makes for better casts, it has one major drawback, at least from an aesthetic point of view.

"It's very difficult to write on and a lot more difficult to decorate," Wester said. "With plaster you can essentially write on it with whatever you want."

But with the variety of creative fiberglass casting tapes now available, broken bones needs not be encased in bland coverings.

Patients have dozens of different patterns and colors from which to choose. Wester said the colorful designs are very popular.

"People respond to them pretty well," Wester said. "It gives them something a little more interesting to look at for six to eight weeks."

Everything from standard solid colors to vibrant neons to blended patterns are available. Colorful casts are particularly popular with children.

"Kids like it. When they go to school it gives them something to show to their friends," Wester said. "Boys take the sports teams, especially during baseball and football season. Girls seems to go more for the solid colors and striped patterns."

Adults go for designs as well. Wester said during the recent hunting seasons, camouflage casts were very popular. And Christmas patterns have been common during this holiday season.

Though fiberglass is more difficult to decorate than plaster, that hasn't stopped people from getting creative. Glitter glues and other items found in craft stores are effective for making homemade designs on fiberglass casts.

"My favorite ones are when the kid get kind of creative on their own," Wester said.

Though fiberglass doesn't crumble when it gets wet like plaster has a tendency to do, Wester cautions cast-wearers to keep them dry. A layer of synthetic cotton between the cast and the skin tends to hold in moisture. If it gets soaked, mildew tends to develop, creating a foul odor.

But getting casts wet isn't the primary thing people wearing casts must guard against.

"The most common thing is people sticking objects down the cast," Wester said. "That is a bad idea."

Often people get coins stuck in the casts. Such objects when trapped against the skin can easily irritate.

"Whenever something like that gets stuck down a cast it can cause and ulcer," Wester said. "Those can take weeks to heal."

Wester said patients should use anti-itch powders when they have an itch they can't scratch.