Chinese students create a revolutionary new way to heal bone fractures
Team behind versatile cast says their invention could be a big help to disaster-struck areas and poorer regions that lack medical resources
A group of design students from Tunghai University, in China, have come up with a clever new way to heal bone fractures.
Known as BoneAid, the cast differs from traditional fixation casts in that one versatile cast can heal breaks in the leg, arm, or ankle — all with minor reassembly.
The design also packs flat in shipments so it takes up less space than casts designed for a specific body part when disaster relief needs as many casts as possible.
The designers behind BoneAid say its disaster-relief benefits may be its biggest sell.
Earthquakes rank among the most dangerous natural disasters because of their tendency to cause broken bones. The problem with traditional fixation devices is that they're bulky and fracture-specific. The same device that heals a broken arm can't fit a person's leg or ankle, and transporting each variety takes up valuable cargo space in trucks and planes.