Physical and Occupational Therapy students will participate in a fourth annual, friendly “Crosstown Splint Off” Monday evening — a “duel in plastic,” organized by St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Advanced Technologies
The competitors will also include Mt. St. Joseph University’s physical therapy program, Xavier University’s occupational therapy program and the University of Cincinnati’s physical therapy program.
“Mary of these students have no idea how to use splinting materials when they start helping patients,” said Meg Robinson, St. Elizabeth occupational therapist and certified hand therapist. “This friendly competition will give them a chance to feel comfortable with the material before having to put it on a person.”
Occupational therapists use activity and exercise to help patients restore ability to return to work or job duties and improve self-care skills following and injury or illness. Recovery often includes splinting. Physical therapists also may have to splint a patient.
“It’s tricky to use thermoplastic because it hardens quickly. You have ego form the splint material to conform to a particular body part during the three to five minutes that the material is flexible. You wait too long and you have to reheat or the splint might not fit,” said Robinson. “We want therapy students to feel more comfortable with splinting, learn the basics of various splint materials and most of all not be so nervous — and have fun!”
The three to four-member teams that vie in the Splint Off will build a sculpture that represents “paying it forward,” how OTs and PTs give back to the community. Each project must include three different splint materials (Pollyform, Ezeform and Aquaplast) and no more than four non-splint components. Projects much demonstrate the draping, molding and bonding ability of the aterias, include a cylinder or cured structure, contain some square edges, and represent the theme, “paying it forward.” The project base can’t exceed 8.5×11 inches. The structures will be judged on uniqueness and originality, aesthetic and professional quality (smoothness, neatness, craftsmanship), materials selection, complexity and intricacy.
Judging will be at St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine Center in Edgewood. Teams will present their creations to a panel of judges at 7 p.m. on Feb. 16. Judges will include representatives from each school, St. Elizabeth Hand Therapy, and two guest judges. A trophy made of thermoplastic will be presented to the winning team.
Xavier’s graduate Occupational Therapy program includes classroom and field-work experience as does Mt. St. Joseph’s PT program and the University of Cincinnati’s PT program.
About 24 teams are expected to take part. Each school will send their top four teams to compete.
From St. Elizabeth Healthcare