. ▁The ▁water proof ▁cast ▁cover ▁stays ▁tight ly ▁around ▁the ▁cast ▁and ▁prevents ▁water ▁from ▁ever ▁reaching ▁it ▁while ▁the ▁patient ▁is ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁water . ▁The ▁cover ▁can ▁easily ▁be ▁removed ▁to ▁dry , ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁re - used ▁often . ▁ ▁Cast ▁l iner ▁ ▁Cast ▁lin ers ▁are ▁often ▁cot ton . ▁Though ▁water proof ▁l ining ▁material ▁is ▁also ▁available . ▁ ▁Rem oval ▁ ▁Cast s ▁are ▁typically ▁removed ▁by ▁per for ation ▁using ▁a ▁cast ▁saw , ▁an ▁oscill ating ▁saw ▁designed ▁to ▁cut ▁rig id ▁material ▁such ▁as ▁pl aster ▁or ▁fi berg lass ▁while ▁not ▁harm ing ▁soft ▁t issue . ▁Man ually ▁operated ▁she ars , ▁pat ented ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁by ▁Neil ▁McK ay , ▁may ▁be ▁used ▁on ▁ped iat ric ▁ ▁or ▁other ▁patients ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁noise ▁of ▁the ▁saw . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁earliest ▁methods ▁of ▁holding ▁a ▁ ▁reduced ▁f ract ure ▁involved ▁using ▁spl ints . ▁ ▁These ▁are ▁rig id ▁stri ps ▁laid ▁parallel ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁alongside ▁the ▁b one . ▁The ▁An cient ▁Egypt ians ▁used ▁wooden ▁spl ints ▁made ▁of ▁b ark ▁wrapped ▁in ▁lin en . ▁They ▁also ▁used ▁st iff ▁band ages ▁for ▁support ▁that ▁were ▁probably ▁derived ▁from ▁em bal ming ▁techniques . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁pl aster ▁of ▁Paris ▁to ▁cover ▁walls ▁is ▁evident , ▁but ▁it ▁seems ▁it ▁was ▁never ▁used ▁for ▁band ages . ▁▁ ▁An cient ▁H