Lower Extremity Casting

Lower Extremity Casting is organized by Texas Children's Hospital and will be held from Aug 21 - 23, 2026 at Texas Children's Hospital - Feigin Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America.

Description:
This course will provide the knowledge base and practical skills for the use of casting materials to manage common impairments in pediatric and neurologic patient populations. Participants will learn to identify appropriate candidates for casting, problem-solve which materials and techniques are appropriate for various clinical presentations, and evaluate progress. The course will emphasize the current evidence related to casting and foot/ankle intervention, the importance of differential diagnosis, and the use of the therapist's manual intervention before and during casting to maximize the therapeutic effects of casts. Attendees will learn to align casts optimally for therapeutic gait and standing. The course includes the fabrication of removable casts/splints for the ankle and knee. The course will include multiple opportunities to learn and apply hands-on practical skills which will be carried over to the clinical setting after course completion.

Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants will:

1. Discuss candidate identification for serial casting using the ICF model, including rationale, assessment, considerations, precautions, and contraindications.
2. Contrast various materials used for serial casting and splinting, with their different properties and benefits for use for varied therapeutic goals.
3. Describe a variety of casting techniques that might be employed depending on patient presentation and goals.
4. Demonstrate assessment for lower extremity serial casting, including gait, weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing alignment, tone, and tri-planar, multi-joint ankle and foot mobility.
5. Discuss and perform soft tissue mobility assessment and mobilizations before and during cast application.
6. Describe basic concepts of shank kinematics as they relate to cast and orthotic design.
7. Apply a lower extremity serial cast with appropriate alignment of joints and application of casting materials, utilizing effective body mechanics.
8. Fabricate removable lower extremity splints for use as an adjunct to casting.