Dr. Miller: So you can mold the fiberglass right around the arm or leg in the same way that you did with the plaster of Paris? Dr. Thomas: You can. And when they've looked at it scientifically, the ...

After fracturing his arm, this engineer hated his fiberglass cast. ... F iberglass casts were first developed in the 1970s with the use of plaster of Paris casting material and cotton dressing.

This is made of plaster of Paris, a white powder that, when mixed with water, turns into a thick paste that hardens. Take care not to get your cast wet. It can start to dissolve or irritate your skin.

"I have a plaster cast for six weeks." The 25-year-old, who finished sixth overall at this year's Giro d'Italia, had a hard time living up to his objectives in the Tour. "I didn't know that the ...