How to Use a Hare Traction Splint
- 1). Remove all clothing from the injured limb. It is important to visualize the injured area to insure the traction splint is properly applied.
- 2). Inspect the injured area. Look for obvious signs of a fracture such as an enlarged limb, paradoxical bone movement, or shortening of the injured limb. Inspect the other areas of the injured limb as well. Because the splint applies traction pressure to the leg, injuries to any other portion of the leg are a contraindication for Hare splint use.
- 3). Check the pulse of the injured leg by placing two fingers on the popliteal artery behind the knee. Check the dorsalis pedis pulse, on top of the foot, in between the first and second toes. Compare the pulses felt at each site. Diminished pulses indicate vascular damage. It is important to have a baseline pulse -- so you can determine if the situation is better or worse -- once the injury has been splinted.
- 4). Asses the motor and sensory function of the injured leg. Tell the person with the injury to wiggle their toes. The ability to wiggle toes is indicative of intact motor function. Run your hands along the injured leg. Ask the person if they have any numbness, tingling or loss of sensation. These things can indicate nerve damage.
- 5). Place the splint next to the uninjured limb for sizing. Loosen the locking screws by turning them to the left -- until the splint slides up and down freely. Adjust the splint, so that the top ischial pad of the splint rests just above the head of the femur, even with the bottom of the buttocks. The bottom of the splint should extend 8 to 12 inches beyond the heel.
- 6). Lock the splint in position by twisting the screws firmly to the right. Position the splint next to the injured leg.
- 7). Pull open all of the securing straps -- placing each end outside the splint. Position the straps so that there are two straps above the knee -- and two straps below the knee. The top strap should be at the top of the thigh, above the fracture.
The second strap should be above the knee, but below the fracture site. Make sure none of the straps are positioned to go directly over the fracture site. The third strap should be located just below the knee -- and the fourth strap should be at the bottom of the leg, near the ankle. - 8). Instruct the second rescuer to take manual traction, by placing one hand under the heel of the injured foot, and the other hand on top of the foot. The leg should be maneuvered into normal anatomical position, using a gentle but firm backward pulling motion. Manual traction needs to be maintained until the splinting process has been completed.
- 9). Slide the ankle strap under the heel of the injured leg, until the edge of the heel is even with the lower edge of the padding. The padded portion of the strap should rest against the skin. Cross the straps over the top of the foot and pull the ends down -- so they are gathered together at the center of the bottom of the foot. You will need to work carefully around the rescuer that is holding manual traction.
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Place the splint under the leg. The top pad of the splint should be placed just under the buttocks of the patient. Lower the leg into the splint. - 11
Secure the straps beginning at the top and moving down toward the foot. Check the pulse at the dorsalis pedis -- as you did in Step 3. This will insure that you have not overly tightened the straps, impeding circulation. - 12
Hook the three D-rings of the ankle hitch, onto the S-ring located on the traction puller at the bottom of the splint. Rotate the traction ratchet at the bottom of the splint until the splint is applying equal traction -- same as the manual traction. Manual traction can be released, once the splint is in place. - 13
Recheck the pulse, motor and sensory of the injured leg. Be sure to support the limb any time you move the patient.
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