Improvements in Surgical-splints.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
Improvements in Surgical-splints.
I, Dr. EMIL STENDEL, of 29 Hirschstrasse, Karlsruhe (Baden) in the Empire
of Germany, Physician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to surgical splints, and provides improved splints consisting
of aluminium rails, flexible in all directions, and yielding under torsional strains.
The said splints are made smooth upon that side which is to lie against the wound,
or which is to be brought in contact therewith, and on the other side they.are
provided with notches or projections or teeth, to facilitate the secure fixing of the
same to the limbs and to afford a reliable support for the bandages. The splints
are so rolled or drawn out, as to possess, despite their flexibility, a sufficient rigidity
for the purpose for which they are intended.
The splint may be bent to any desired shape and the notches, projections or
teeth, formed thereon in any appropriate manner may also have any desired shape.
The splints are preferably constructed with a cross-section of from 10 to 15 milli-
meters in width and from 3 to 3.5 millimeters in height. Splints of other
constructional proportions may of course he employed.
In the case of a splint to be used for an injury to the elbow-joint for example
the smooth surface of the splint is directed toward the arm and the notches of the
same lie outwards. The dressing material consequently finds a reliable support at
the notches or between the projections and is thus prevented from slipping out of
place. The notches and projections are produced, upon that portion where the
dressing material is to be placed, in different groups, or so as to form a continuous
row, after the splint has been bent into the proper shape to suit the injured
limb.
These aluminium splints are especially suitable for use in time of war in view of
the fact that they allow of a rapid provisional bandaging in cases where a serious
wound with fracture of a bone of a limb is to be treated. They are, however,
likewise of practical use in time of peace for orthopaedic purposes, especially as
the insertion of a joint-connection at any desired place does not offer any
difficulties.
The said aluminium splints have the advantage of being innocuous and are so
little decomposed by the secretions from a wound as well as by the antiseptic
liquids, with the exception of sublimate, commonly employed that the fact of their
being brought into direct or indirect contact with wounds involves no danger.
Consequently, by employing aluminium splints, the curved or arched recesses for
preventing direct contact between the splint and the wound as heretofore made of
telegraph wire, iron bands and the like in order to produce continuous bandages,
are avoided. The fact of these arched recesses being dispensed with, however
means a considerable simplification which permits of employing continuous bandages
far more extensively than has been heretofore possible.
The projections or teeth to be provided at places of the splint which appear in
each special case suitable for the bandage and which projections or teeth are
produced immediately before the splint is applied, engage so firmly with the fabric
of the surrounding bandage, that it is rendered possible with aluminium splints,
prepared in this manner, to produce and fix discontinuous bandages, not only as

page_text: usual at the present time, with gypsum, but also with starch paste, and even by
using ordinary tied bandages only. The advantages resulting therefrom are,
easier manipulation, saving of time in dressing wounds, and a lighter weight of
bandage, since aluminium is lighter than the material previously used for splints,
and especially since the gypsum, previously indispensable and causing a material
increase of weight, is rendered superfluous.
A further important advantage results from the fact that aluminium splints can
be bent in every direction, without the rigidity being impaired. A specially
important factor consists in the flexibility to torsional stresses as well as the
possibility of narrow strips being bent edgeways. The cross sections of these
splints are preferably rectangular, but splints may be employed, having a square
or approximately square or approximately rectangular or other appropriate cross-
section. The projections or teeth or notches are usually applied after the splint
has been properly bent, at those places, where the bandage is to be placed, but
they may also be produced, before the splint has been bent into the proper shape
for use.
Dated this 1st day of May 1896
I, Dr. EMIL STENDEL, of 29 Hirschstrasse, Karlsruhe (Baden) in the Empire
of Germany, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to surgical splints, and provides improved splints consisting
of aluminium rails, flexible in all directions, and yielding under torsional strains.
The said splints are made smooth upon that side which is to lie against the wound
or which is to be brought in contact therewith, and on the other side they are
provided with notches or projections or teeth, to facilitate the secure fixing of the
same to the limbs, and to afford a reliable support for the bandages. The splints
are so rolled or drawn out, as to possess, despite their flexibility, a sufficient
rigidity for the purpose for which they are intended.
An aluminium splint of this kind and method of using the same, is illustrated by
way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 represents an aluminium-splint a of rectangular cross-section the splint
being bent to the desired shape and the notches, projections or teeth formed thereon
in any appropriate manner may also have any desired shape. Figure 2 for instance
shows part of a splint with triangular notches 6' with teeth c¹ pressed upwards, on
a larger scale. The splints are preferably constructed with a cross-section of
from 10 to 15 millimeters in width and from 3 to 3-5 millimeters in height. Splints
of other constructional proportions may of course be employed.
Figure 3 illustrates a splint to be used for an injury to the elbow-joint for
example, the smooth surface of the splint is directed toward the arm and the notches
of the same lie outwards. The dressing material d d' consequently finds a reliable
support at the notches or between the projections and is thus prevented from
slipping out of place. The notches and projections are produced, upon that portion
where the dressing material is to be placed, in different groups, or so as to form a
continuous row, after the splint has been bent into the proper shape to suit the
⚫ injured limb.

page_text: These aluminium splints are especially suitable for use in time of war in view
of the fact that they allow of a rapid provisional bandaging in cases where a
serious wound with fracture of a bone or a limb is to be treated. They are,
however, likewise of practical use in time of peace for orthopoelic purposes,
especially as the insertion of a joint connectio at any desired place does not offer
any difficulties.
The said aluminium splints have the advantage of being innocuous and are so
little decomposed by the secretions from a wound as well as by the antiseptic
liquids with the exception of sublimate, commonly employed that the fact of their
being brought into direct or indirect contact with wounds involves no danger.
Consequently, by employing aluminium splints, the curved or arched recesses for
preventing direct contact between the splint and the wound as heretofore made of
telegraph wire, iron bands and the like in order to produce continuous bandages,
are avoided. The fact of these arched recesses being dispensed with, however,
means a considerable simplification which permits of employing continuous bandages
far more extensively than has been heretofore possible.
The projections or teeth to be provided at places of the splint which appear in
each special case suitable for the bandage and which projections or teeth are
produced immediately before the splint is applied, engage so firmly with the fabric
of the surrounding bandage, that it is rendered possible with aluminium splints,
prepared in this manner, to produce and fix continuous bandages, not only as is usual
at the present time, with gypsum, but also with starch paste, and even by using
ordinary tied bandages only. The advantages resulting therefrom are: easier
manipulation, saving of time in dressing wounds, also a lighter weight of bandage,
since aluminium is lighter than the material previously used for splints and especially
since the gypsum, previously indispensable and causing a material increase of
weight is rendered superfluous.
A further important advantage results from the fact that the aluminium splints
can be bent in every direction, without the rigidity being impaired. A specially
important factor consists in the flexibility to torsional strains as well as the
possibility of narrow strips being bent edgeways. The cross section of these splints
is preferably rectangular but splints may be employed having a square or
approximately square or approximately rectangular or other appropriate cross-
section. The projections or teeth or notches are normally applied after the splint
has been properly bent, at those places, where the bandage is to be placed, but
they may also be produced, before the splint has been bent into the proper shape
for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Aluminium splints for surgical purposes, consisting of rods flexible in all directions,
also around the longitudinal axis, which rods, on being used, are provided with
notches or projections or teeth at one side (namely the exterior), for the purpose
of securing the bandaging material in its position.
L1907
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.