How to Make a Traction Splint for a Fractured Femur

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the ABC's: Airway

   Trauma significant enough to snap a femur is likely strong enough to cause other issues, possibly even rendering the victim unconscious.
   
   If this is the case, you must make sure he has an open airway, is breathing (with or without intervention) and he has a pulse.
2. 2

   Step 2: breathing and circulation.

   This is going to require an additional rescuer.
   
   Grab the ankle, straighten the foot and pull, keeping this traction until the traction splint is done. , It would be preferable to find them forked on one end, each of them.
   
   One of the branches should be considerably longer than the other, as the longer one will run the outside of the leg from the chest area down.
   
   The shorter stick will run from the groin or crotch down.
   
   They should both end at the same point below the foot.
   
   These branches should be significant, about
   1.5
   - 2 inches (4
   - 5 cm) thick. , These areas need to be heavily padded with whatever padding you have available.
   
   There will be a lot of pressure exerted in these areas. , Use some cloth or rope and tie this shorter stick between the two and securely in the groove you cut out. , Obviously, a lot longer material will be needed at the chest and everywhere above the waist.
   
   Be sure to not tie on the knee, but well above and below it, and not on the site of the break either, but above and below it as well. , You will take these two tag ends and tie them securely to the cross member.
   
   You now have a "V" shape from the cross member to the ankle. , Start twisting this stick, causing the ropes to start winding around each other, thereby pulling the ankle down closer to the cross member.
   
   You will notice that the injured leg is starting to become as long as the uninjured one. ,, It is likely that some traction will be lost, so you will want to add another twist or two in order to maintain proper traction.
   
   You also need to periodically check for swelling or discoloration, feeling and pulse in the toes and foot to make sure that circulation is not being cut off.
3. 3

   Step 3: Apply traction and maintain traction through the entire process.

4. 4

   Step 4: Find two long branches or sticks.

5. 5

   Step 5: Put the forked end of the sticks at the top near the chest or armpit and the crotch or groin.

6. 6

   Step 6: Cut or dig out notches in the bottom of the sticks to make a groove for a short stick that you will need to find to become a cross member that will be used later.

7. 7

   Step 7: Take some rope or anything else that you can use as a tie

8. 8

   Step 8: and start securing the long branches to the body.

9. 9

   Step 9: Find one last piece of rope and starting in the middle

10. 10

    Step 10: wrap it around the ankle

11. 11

    Step 11: so the tag ends of this rope will be dangling.

12. 12

    Step 12: Locate a short stubby stick that you can put in between the "V" of the rope from the ankle to the cross member.

13. 13

    Step 13: Stop twisting once the legs are equal length

14. 14

    Step 14: and then secure the short winching stick to the cross member so that it does not twist back and reverse what you just did.

15. 15

    Step 15: Continue to monitor your work and make sure that traction is maintained.

Detailed Guide

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