Construction of Protective and Supportive Devices

1. Construction of Protective and Supportive Devices • An athletic trainer should be able to design and construct protective devices • Must have knowledge of theoretical basis of padding construction • Art form based on science • A variety of materials is available • Hard and soft materials

2. Soft materials • Gauze: versatile, can be used for protection or absorption • Cotton: cheapest and more widely used (absorbent, holds emollients and offers mild padding • Adhesive felt (moleskin, spongy rubber): • Felt: matted wool fibers, pressed in a variety of thicknesses • Semi-resilient providing firm pressure • Absorbent and clings to skin (less tendency to move) • Must be replaced daily due to absorbent qualities

3. Foam: many uses with many densities • Resilient, non-absorbent material that protects against compressive force • Open vs. closed cells (return to shape) • Thermomoldable • Some have viscoelastic polymers and are energy absorbent • Non-yielding Materials • Thermomoldable plastics • Used in orthotics, braces, splints and for shielding body parts • Casting, support for foot, protect contusions

4. Three types • Heat forming - heat and can be molded (Orthoplast) • Heat setting - rigid and difficult to form and may require a mold • Heat plastic foams- different densities due to the addition of liquids, gas, or crystals • - Commonly used in shoe inserts • Casting Materials • Casting has long been a practice in sports medicine • Fiberglass is the material of choice which uses resin and catalytic converter, plus water to produce hardening • Effective shell for splinting and padding