Experiences with serial casting? What kind of split after casting?

[charwinter]

My dd, Karrie (LOBPI), 8 years old, might be getting serial casting done again soon to try and straigten out her arm some as she is tight. The drs are really debating whether to do it or not. The last time she had it done in the past her arm rebounded very quickly.

Her comfort position is tucked into her body with it bent at the elbow. She is currently unable to straigten it out (she is probably at 50 degrees). Her injury is to c7 (ruptured) and C8 and T1 (both avulsed). She had surgery to correct at 4 months old.

I am wondering of your expeiences with it...what benefits is there to casting if the arm rebounds quickly. Do you use a split afterwards...how long/often (just at night or through the day too?) What kind of split do you use? Any of your experiences would be helpful!

Thanks in advance.
Charmaine

[F-Litz]

My 9 year old Maia was serial casted in the spring and was able to recover a good 30 degrees. She was casted for a while and then right in to a static splint (called the belly buster splint) which she has been in ever since.

Maia is severely internally rotated so everyday her arm tightens up again and we heat and stretch it in the evening and put the splint back on.

We didn't splint for while in the summer because her splint got too tight and her therapist was on maternity leave, but we went back just recently and got her splint stretched out to be a bit larger and now we're working on getting her back to wehre she was - she lost about 10 degrees over two months - not bad.

I figured that as long as she has that internal rotation contracture she'll have to be splinted at night for her elbow. Can't have your arm cocked all day and not get tight.

anyway - I have pictures of Maia in her belly buster splint on her page found at www.injurednewborn.com/maia8 look in the life plan section