30. December 2024
In the emergency practice at KSB, patients with arm injuries are being given splints made of wood instead of synthetic plaster. After initial tests in 2023, the hospital in the Swiss canton of Aargau introduced a wooden splint from the Finnish company Dassiet in spring 2024. Known as Woodcast, the splint is a waste product from sauna construction. To date, more than 600 units have been used at KSB.
“We have found that the wooden splint is not only just as good, but even better in some cases,” Nicole Sonderegger, Head Medical Practice Assistant in the emergency practice, is quoted as saying in a statement from KSB.
The splints are heated to around 60 degrees in a special oven before being customized to fit the patient. Because the material is biodegradable and non-toxic, KSB staff can apply and fit the splints without wearing gloves and while avoiding additional exhaust air. Patients can also heat the wooden splints at home with a hairdryer and brush away any areas that are pressing too hard against the skin, explains Sonderegger.
Another advantage, writes the statement, is that the wooden splints are X-ray transparent and therefore do not need to be removed during an imaging procedure. Once the treatment is complete, the splints can be incinerated or disposed of as organic waste. Synthetic plaster, on the other hand, ends up in residual waste. According to Sonderegger, the costs of Woodcast are comparable to those of the plaster used previously. ce/ssp
