Can Exos heated products burn the skin, especially of children and older patients?
No. The foam inner layer effectively insulates the skin from the plastic middle layer of the laminate material. This foam serves two purposes: It insulates the skin from the warmer inner plastic layer and allows the plastic to retain heat longer so that it cools gradually and has the proper working time. In fact, patients find Exos splints, braces, and casts comfortably warm rather than hot. Exos cools gradually from the moment it is applied to the skin, whereas plaster and fiberglass materials typically heat up as the exothermic reaction catalyzes the transformation of the material. The water used in these systems conducts that heat to a degree that is sometimes uncomfortable. Then, for hours after, the patient must endure a wet and soggy feeling until the cast padding dries, in addition to the pain of their injury. Exos is dry and comfortable from the start.
