Abstract
Patients who have an injured limb treated in a cast may need to travel on an aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have issued guidelines to help clinicians and airline companies decide if patients are safe to travel on an aircraft, or if they need to have the cast altered. Patients may seek advice from the airline companies without consulting their clinicians.
This study looked at the published advice on the websites of commercial airline companies, and requested written guidelines from those with whom no published advice was available. Out of the top 16 companies flying in and out of the UK, only six followed the CAA advice, seven did not have a clear policy, and some offered advice that could be worrying to some clinicians.
This study shows that there is little evidence available to help airline companies and clinicians decide if it is un-safe to allow people to fly with a cast. The advice from airlines is conflicting and confusing for patients, therefore a more consistent approach may be needed to allow safe air travel, to avoid inappropriate alterations of casts and to avoid unnecessary visits to the fracture clinic.
