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Splint vs Orthosis - What's the difference?

splint | orthosis |

In medicine terms the difference between splint and orthosis

is that splint is a device to immobilize a body part while orthosis is a type of brace which either prevents, or assists movement of a limb or the spine.

As nouns the difference between splint and orthosis

is that splint is a narrow strip of wood split or peeled off of a larger piece while orthosis is a type of brace which either prevents, or assists movement of a limb or the spine.

As a verb splint

is to apply a splint to; to fasten with splints.

splint

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A narrow strip of wood split or peeled off of a larger piece.
  • (medicine) A device to immobilize a body part.
    • 1900' ''But it so happened that I had a man in the hospital at the time, and going there to see about him the day before the opening of the Inquiry, I saw in the white men's ward that little chap tossing on his back, with his arm in '''splints , and quite light-headed.'' Joseph Conrad, ''Lord Jim , Chapter 5.
  • A dental device applied consequent to undergoing orthodontia.
  • A segment of armor.
    • 1819 The fore-part of his thighs, where the folds of his mantle permitted them to be seen, were also covered with linked mail; the knees and feet were defended by ''splints'' , or thin plates of steel, ingeniously jointed upon each other; and mail hose, reaching from the ankle to the knee, effectually protected the legs, and completed the rider's defensive armour.'' — Walter Scott, ''Ivanhoe , Chapter 1.
  • A bone found on either side of the horse's cannon bone; second or fourth metacarpal (forelimb) or metatarsal (hindlimb) bone.
  • A disease affecting the splint bones, as a callosity or hard excrescence.
  • splent coal

    • Usage notes

    * For a horse to (term) is for it to receive an injury to the splint bone or surrounding area.

    Derived terms

    * shin splint

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To apply a splint to; to fasten with splints.
  • To support one's abdomen with hands or a pillow before attempting to cough.
  • (obsolete, rare, transitive) To split into thin, slender pieces; to splinter.
    • (Florio)

    orthosis

    English

    Noun

    (orthoses)
  • (medicine) A type of brace which either prevents, or assists movement of a limb or the spine

    • Related terms

    *orthotics