Inflatable cast for treating a patient and method of making cast

A cast for treatment of a part of a human or animal body that is likely to benefit from being immobilized comprising a bendable shell that is adapted to surround the portion of the body to be treated, said shell having an inner surface that is adapted to confront the part of the body to be casted and an opposed outer surface, said shell also having opposed linear edges and opposed ends extending between the edges, said shell being adapted to have a bend forming the shell into a configuration with opposed edges abutting each other, means disposed on the shell to secure and seal said opposed edges to each other, said shell being adapted to surround the part of the body to be treated with the part of the body extending from at least one end of the shell and the inner surface of the shell being spaced from the body part of the patient, means operatively associated with the shell forming an inflatable and expandable bag on the inner surface of the shell, said bag being adapted to expand upon being inflated and engage the part of the patient disposed within the shell and said bag being adapted to contract upon being deflated to form a gap between the bag and the part of the patient disposed within the shell of at least 0.25 inch, valve means operatively associated with the bag for connecting a pressurized source of fluid to the bag and controlling the pressure of the fluid within the bag, and a mass of casting material applied to and about the outer surface of the shell to maintain the shell in a fixed shape, said shell having sufficient tensional strength to maintain its shape during application of the casting material.