ARM Cast

grabcad

The ARM cast is a reusable, adjustable, and modular alternative to traditional plaster/fiberglass casts designed by a student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. Plaster/fiberglass casts have disadvantages such as long creation time, requirement of skilled physicians for customization, immovability after creation, difficulty in cleaning, and cast destruction after single use. The ARM cast addresses these issues through its short creation time, no-skills-required adjustments by patients themselves, modularity allowing it to fit various sizes, adjustability during the healing process, washable and cleanable design, reusability for other patients after sterilization, and a three-part structure consisting of a modular ring, adjustable pads, and an elbow joint. The modular ring is threaded on both ends for connection to other rings or the elbow joint, while the adjustment pads are C-shaped and move inside the ring to accommodate patients' arm sizes and twists. ARM casts are printed with ABS plastic using FDM 3D printers, utilizing its in-place assembly and layer thickness features for increased efficiency and strength. Videos showcasing the ARM cast in action, fitting various shapes, assembling, and 3D printed parts are available on YouTube and the student's engineering website.