Webril-only Soft Spica Cast for Pediatric Femoral Fractures: A Preliminary Study

We report using a spica cast created with cotton padding and Ace wrap without a rigid component for femur fracture in infants. Outcomes and complications of this soft spica cast were retrospectively compared with other treatments. There were 43 children younger than 6 months (43 diaphyseal fractures) included in the study. Treatment was a Pavlik harness (26 patients), a hard spica cast (8), or a soft spica cast (9) for an average of 3 weeks. All fractures demonstrated healing with similar final angulation and shortening. Hard spica casts caused the most complications. As for material costs, the soft spica is the least costly method ($2 per cast versus $87–$107 for Pavlik harness and $150 for hard spica). In conclusion, soft spica casts are as eff ective as other treatment options for femoral shaft fractures in young children. These casts are advantageous since they are easier to apply, easier to manage, and have a lower cost. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 30(1):040–043, 2021)

Key words: femur fractures, children, spica cast, Pavlik harness, orthopaedics