CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM

DR Boardman; R Bharathan

doi:10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

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General Orthopaedics

CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM

British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) 2005

DR Boardman
R Bharathan

CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM

Boardman D, Bharathan R. CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM. Orthop Procs. 2012;94-B(SUPP_II):10-10. doi:10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

Boardman, DR, and R Bharathan. “CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM.” Orthopaedic Proceedings, vol. 94-B, no. SUPP_II, 2012, pp. 10-10., https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

Boardman, D., & Bharathan, R. (2012). CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM. Orthopaedic Proceedings, 94-B(SUPP_II), 10-10. https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

Boardman, D. and Bharathan, R. (2012) “CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM.” Orthopaedic Proceedings, 94-B(SUPP_II), pp. 10-10. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

Boardman, DR, and R Bharathan. “CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM.” Orthopaedic Proceedings 94-B, no. SUPP_II (2012): 10-10. https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

Boardman D, Bharathan R. CAST SAW BURNS: PEAK BLADE TEMPERATURES REACHED WHILST SPLITTING CASTING MATERIALS USING DIFFERENT BLADES AND TECHNIQUES, WITH AND WITHOUT A VACUUM DUST COLLECTION SYSTEM. Orthop Procs. 2012 Feb 1;94-B(SUPP_II):10-10. https://doi.org/10.1302/1358-992X.94BSUPP_II.BOA2005-010

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Abstract

Instances of skin burns whilst splitting orthopaedic casts using oscillating plaster saws have been reported. Previous work has found contact temperatures over 65°C to burn skin within a second. We compared saw blade temperatures generated whilst splitting casts using two blades, two cutting techniques, with and without a dust extraction vacuum.

Gypsona (Smith & Nephew Healthcare), Scotchcast Poly, Scotchcast Softcast and Scotchcast Plus Fibreglass (3M Healthcare) casts were formed by applying casting material to PVC pipe over cast padding and stockingette. Casts were left for one week to dry and then split using an all-purpose cast saw blade and a mortuary saw blade (de Soutter) fitted to a CleanCast CC5 oscillating saw (de Soutter). This saw has an inbuilt vacuum dust extraction system; casts were split with this system turned on and off, using the standard ‘up-down’ technique and a dragging technique. Blade temperatures were recorded during splitting using a digital thermometer (DS18B20, Dallas Semiconductors) fixed to the blade. Average maximum blade temperatures from five cuts were calculated and statistical analysis conducted.

Splitting synthetic casts with an ‘up-down’ technique generated higher temperatures than splitting gypsona (softcast +5.5°C p=0.06, fibreglass +9.0°C p=0.03, polyester +20.0°C p<0.001). Mortuary blades generated similar temperatures to cast saw blades except whilst splitting fibreglass (+5.6°C p=0.031). Compared to the ‘up-down’ technique, the ‘dragging’ technique generated higher blade temperatures irrespective of material (gypsona +10.7°C p=0.005, softcast +7.1°C p=0.001, fibreglass +16.6°C p=0.001, polyester +11.4°C p=0.001). The vacuum dust extraction system reduced temperature irrespective of material being split (gypsona -12.4°C p=0.002, softcast - 20.7°C p<0.001, fibreglass -19.2°C p=0.001, polyester -29.1 p<0.001)

Blade temperatures whilst splitting synthetic casts were significantly higher than whilst splitting gypsona. The vacuum dust extraction system cooled blades to a temperature at which thermal skin burns cannot occur.