What is the purpose of a splint for a minor fracture?

[GoodyGoodyGumdrops]

For a minor fracture, just a crack, say, does splinting have any purpose other than to reduce pain while the bone heals?

It can help the fracture from moving whilst it heals, whilst sometimes retaining some function reducing long term stiffness

It keeps the limb in place so the break can mend

It can help the fracture from moving whilst it heals

What if the fracture isn't moving? A tiny crack in a bone, say. No swelling or deformation, just pain. The limb can still be used, only limited by pain or discomfort.

Would the fracture heal just as well without the splint? The pain protects the limb by restricting its use.

DD1 recently fractured her thumb and was provided with a slightly ridiculous thumb splint similar to a thimble.
The consultant advised that the splint should be removed hourly and the thumb wiggled/ manipulated for a few minutes every hour in order to prevent the joint stiffening or seizing up/ causing long-term issues.

The consultant stated that the splint was not essential for the fracture to heal, as the thumb was stable as such/ could still be used/ only limited in normal range of movement by pain at a certain point of stretching it.

He explained the splint was more for protection of the joint from accidental knocks (which could possibly cause more damage to the fracture whilst healing, but more likely to just cause avoidable pain to DD1), and to provide support whilst sleeping (as rolling over in sleep onto the broken thumb would obviously be painful/ wake her up).

Not sure which bone you/ your loved one has fractured, but this might be more of the thinking behind the splint recommendation?

Thanks, Kitty, that makes sense. It's what I suspected. I won't nag ds to keep the splint on, then