12/04/2025
In , Nakken et al. found that the best splint configuration for keeping posterior heel pressure below the threshold associated with dermal arteriolar capillary collapse (32 mm Hg) requires 8-10 layers of evenly applied padding while floating the heel.
"I didn’t realize until reading this (study) just how common or severe the harm (from splint-induced skin ulcers) can be," writes Seth Leopold MD in the Editor's Spotlight on this article. "Apparently, (they) are the second most common iatrogenic cause of plastic surgery referrals."
"We hope this (study) will lead to some uniformity in splinting—a procedure that happens thousands of times every day in this country, and yet we have no 'best practice' model to guide clinicians," writes senior author James R. Holmes MD in his Take 5 interview, which is free to read all month.
Read the article here: https://ow.ly/MZT750XC8ey
Read the Editor's Spotlight/Take 5 interview here: https://ow.ly/9SfK50XC8ev