| abstract |
Orthopedic casts which comprise a casting polymer of melting point Tm which is preferably from 40 to 60 DEG C. The casting polymer is preferably coated onto an elastically deformed fabric, so that the cast recovers when heated to a temperature above Tm. The cast preferably has an air flow permeability of 10 to 35 % resulting from the presence of apertures of area 0.01 to 0.08 cm<2>, so that it can be rapidly heated by means of a hot air gun. Preferred casting polymers comprise a side chain crystallizable (SCC) polymer, particularly one containing units derived from styrene or another high Tg monomer. The addition of certain other polymers, e.g. an ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, and/or certain inorganic fillers, e.g. calcium carbonate, wollastonite and talc, results in improved balance of tensile strength and elongation. |