The Thomas Splint: A Modification and Extension of its Uses in Clinical Orthopaedics

Abstract

Sir Hugh Owen Thomas descended from a long line of Welsh bone-setters. He stressed on the importance of rest in treatment and was responsible for many landmark contributions in the field of orthopaedics. He is especially celebrated for his design and use of splints; the famous Thomas knee splint is still in wide use in emergency departments and Orthopaedic units in hospitals worldwide. Many a time’s assessment of fracture reduction becomes difficult as the Thomas splint obstructs the view. We tried to reduce these problems by modifying the Thomas splint into a radiolucent one by using nylon. This radiolucent splint not only allows repeated radiography to provides clear image without any superimposition but more importantly these repeated radiographs do not cause any pain and discomfort to the patient.

Keywords

• Thomas splint
• Sir Hugh Owen Thomas