Responses to Uses for Surlyn
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Title:
Responses to Uses for Surlyn
Text:
Original Post:
To OandP list members:
We used to use Surlyn for flexible AK sockets in our office but now use
modified PE.
What are other uses of Surlyn in your practices?
Thanks,
Randy McFarland, CPO
Fullerton, CA
(We are still looking for an accomplished CP or CPO)
www.sunnyhills.com
Responses:
We use Surlyn for cranial molding helmets for infants with occipital
flattening. Not exclusively however.
Rob Kistenberg, CP
Instructor
UT Southwestern PO program
We use sometimes use surlyn for check sockets on people with long or unusual
residual limbs such as Symes amputations, also for upper limb amps. This is a
good technique when you want to use some sort of attachment adaptor (such as a
shuttle lock) that is moulded into the socket.
Moulding is done by the drape method, (Like you woud mould an AFO) and the
seam is then split with a screwdriver or similar tool. This enables you to
remove the socket without damaging the cast. The seam is secured with small
bolts every 100mm or so. It is important not to overheat the Surlyn as this
makes the seam impossible to split.
--
______________________
Stephen Hockey
Technical Officer
La Trobe University
National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics
Tel: +61 3 9479 5747
Fax: +61 3 9479 5036
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
web: www.latrobe.edu.au/www/ncpo/
Our clinic has successfully used surlyn for wrap-around AFO's (similar to
the Cascade DAFO's). It seems to be sturdy enough for function, while
flexible enough (usually 1/8th inch, stretched at the forefoot) to accomodate
entry.
W. La Fond
The practice I am interning with uses Surlyn for test sockets.
Karen Kindness, M.S.
We sometimes use Surlyn for our custom cranial remodeling helmets.
Steve Fletcher, CPO
Shands Hosptial at the University of Florida
You can find many uses for surlyn. How about things like:
A Sarmiento style orthosis. As a cylindrical volume stabalizer Surlun is
great. Especially on an upper extremity fit.
Wrist splints. Why not?
Try it on a trans tibial suction socket. Sometimes the amount of unusual
scarring or high tissue volume might suggest successful fit. I've seen it
done. Helped do it in fact.
Just think about all the things there are to make........Also think that
material usage is a very individual thing. Just because a certain material
may not work for one person, does not mean it won't work for another.
Surlyn has typically been a plastic that has worked well while interacting
with other materials of differing properties (Especially those with stiffer
properties!) We sometimes get bogged down with traditional use of a
material's properties and get into a groove. If the groove is not
happening with a certain combination we tend to abandon it. (after all we
still have to make some kind of profit sometimes. (Bills keep coming in)
Anyway, keep thinking. Let me know if you find more.
Some folks use Surlyn for check sockets, especially with myoelectric
sensors. I've also used Surlyn as an onion-skin layer in pediatric BE
sockets, in hopes that once the child grows he/she can still use the
prosthesis by removing the liner.
Bill Lifford, C.P.
Brooklyn, NY
When I was at the REC at Stanford, we used quite a bit of Surlyn for
spinal orthoses. I used it for idio scoli as it could be used without
padding, was easy to modify at very specific points due to clarity, and
the young girls loved it as it fit under their normal clothes. Of course
we we casting on a Risser table and doing our own positive models.
I also used our own version of an overlap brace which I called an S.O.B.
or Surlyn over lap brace. Instead of vacuum forming we used to drape
wrap the positive model. The melt temp Surlyn was stapled to the
anterior surface of the positive. The staple line was offset by the
amount of overlap that you wanted.
The sheet was then drawn around the positive. At the overlap area, we
used to spray water on the surface to prevent bonding of the hot
plastic. The crests were molded with a damp cloth. The final product,
with some practice, came out to be very cosmetic. This technique worked
quite well with young children as the over lap would accommodate some
growth and seemed to last longer than some of th bi-valve orthoses we
utilized.
Regards,
Gary G. Bedard, CO, FAAOP
_______________
To OandP list members:
We used to use Surlyn for flexible AK sockets in our office but now use
modified PE.
What are other uses of Surlyn in your practices?
Thanks,
Randy McFarland, CPO
Fullerton, CA
(We are still looking for an accomplished CP or CPO)
www.sunnyhills.com
Responses:
We use Surlyn for cranial molding helmets for infants with occipital
flattening. Not exclusively however.
Rob Kistenberg, CP
Instructor
UT Southwestern PO program
We use sometimes use surlyn for check sockets on people with long or unusual
residual limbs such as Symes amputations, also for upper limb amps. This is a
good technique when you want to use some sort of attachment adaptor (such as a
shuttle lock) that is moulded into the socket.
Moulding is done by the drape method, (Like you woud mould an AFO) and the
seam is then split with a screwdriver or similar tool. This enables you to
remove the socket without damaging the cast. The seam is secured with small
bolts every 100mm or so. It is important not to overheat the Surlyn as this
makes the seam impossible to split.
--
______________________
Stephen Hockey
Technical Officer
La Trobe University
National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics
Tel: +61 3 9479 5747
Fax: +61 3 9479 5036
Email: <Email Address Redacted>
web: www.latrobe.edu.au/www/ncpo/
Our clinic has successfully used surlyn for wrap-around AFO's (similar to
the Cascade DAFO's). It seems to be sturdy enough for function, while
flexible enough (usually 1/8th inch, stretched at the forefoot) to accomodate
entry.
W. La Fond
The practice I am interning with uses Surlyn for test sockets.
Karen Kindness, M.S.
We sometimes use Surlyn for our custom cranial remodeling helmets.
Steve Fletcher, CPO
Shands Hosptial at the University of Florida
You can find many uses for surlyn. How about things like:
A Sarmiento style orthosis. As a cylindrical volume stabalizer Surlun is
great. Especially on an upper extremity fit.
Wrist splints. Why not?
Try it on a trans tibial suction socket. Sometimes the amount of unusual
scarring or high tissue volume might suggest successful fit. I've seen it
done. Helped do it in fact.
Just think about all the things there are to make........Also think that
material usage is a very individual thing. Just because a certain material
may not work for one person, does not mean it won't work for another.
Surlyn has typically been a plastic that has worked well while interacting
with other materials of differing properties (Especially those with stiffer
properties!) We sometimes get bogged down with traditional use of a
material's properties and get into a groove. If the groove is not
happening with a certain combination we tend to abandon it. (after all we
still have to make some kind of profit sometimes. (Bills keep coming in)
Anyway, keep thinking. Let me know if you find more.
Some folks use Surlyn for check sockets, especially with myoelectric
sensors. I've also used Surlyn as an onion-skin layer in pediatric BE
sockets, in hopes that once the child grows he/she can still use the
prosthesis by removing the liner.
Bill Lifford, C.P.
Brooklyn, NY
When I was at the REC at Stanford, we used quite a bit of Surlyn for
spinal orthoses. I used it for idio scoli as it could be used without
padding, was easy to modify at very specific points due to clarity, and
the young girls loved it as it fit under their normal clothes. Of course
we we casting on a Risser table and doing our own positive models.
I also used our own version of an overlap brace which I called an S.O.B.
or Surlyn over lap brace. Instead of vacuum forming we used to drape
wrap the positive model. The melt temp Surlyn was stapled to the
anterior surface of the positive. The staple line was offset by the
amount of overlap that you wanted.
The sheet was then drawn around the positive. At the overlap area, we
used to spray water on the surface to prevent bonding of the hot
plastic. The crests were molded with a damp cloth. The final product,
with some practice, came out to be very cosmetic. This technique worked
quite well with young children as the over lap would accommodate some
growth and seemed to last longer than some of th bi-valve orthoses we
utilized.
Regards,
Gary G. Bedard, CO, FAAOP
_______________
Citation
“Responses to Uses for Surlyn,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 26, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211873.
