Over 6 million people break a bone each year, and a lot of people sprain their wrist. Due to the lack of gravity, astronaut’s bones deteriorate and weaken. Therefore, in space, an astronaut is more likely to break a bone or sprain their wrist. Moving your wrist adds to the symptoms of pain and swelling, along with postponing healing. A splint is a medical device used to immobilize limbs to avoid further injury and allow for healing.
The wrist splint I have designed should be made from a flexible material such as nylon or ABS plastic. To set up the splint, slide the end with one wedge facing down into the buckle with the closed back end. The splint should be slid up right below the base of the thumb. Not all people have arms the same size so the splint can be tightened by sliding the other end of the strap (the side without a wedge on the bottom) through the opposite buckle and pull until tight. When done with the splint pull up on the handle and slide the strap out of the buckle.
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