Kendrick Traction Device - KTD

The Kendrick Traction Device (KTD) is a compact, lightweight traction splint for the mid-shaft femur, well suited to remote area operations and outdoor activities. The traction pole adjusts quickly for adult or paediatric application, application does not require rolling the patient or unnecessary leg raising, and there is no ischial bar - which removes a common source of pressure problems. Supplied in a compact pouch with instructions.

Why choose the Kendrick Traction Device

Weight and bulk are what usually keep a traction splint out of a pack, and this is where the KTD earns its place: 567g, stored at 24cm long by 9cm wide. A traditional traction splint is a long rigid frame that realistically stays on the truck. This one goes in a rescue pack, which means it is present at the remote job, the trail, the mine site and the surf club - the settings where a femur fracture is furthest from definitive care and traction matters most.

The application method suits difficult patients. Because it needs no patient roll-over and no unnecessary leg raising, it can be applied where movement is limited or where spinal precautions are in place, and with less of the pain that repositioning a fractured femur causes. Fewer movements also means a faster application by a smaller team.

Removing the ischial bar addresses a genuine problem. On splints that use one, the bar concentrates load in the groin, and on a long extrication or transport that is where pressure injuries and nerve compression develop. The KTD applies traction without it, which matters most on exactly the long remote transports this device is designed for.

Key features

• Traction splint for mid-shaft femur fracture
• Traction pole adjusts for adult or paediatric application
• No patient roll-over or unnecessary leg raising required
• No ischial bar - reduces pressure problems
• Compact storage pouch with easy-to-follow instructions
• Cost effective, compact and lightweight
• Suited to remote area operations and outdoor activities

Specifications

Common uses

Ambulance and retrieval services, mine site and remote-area medics, ski patrol, surf life saving, expedition and outdoor education teams, and rescue units that carry rather than drive their equipment. It sits alongside the rest of an immobilisation load-out: full leg air splints for lower-limb injuries where traction is not indicated, and an AERORESCUE spine board stretcher with straps for extrication. See our farming, mining and remote area first aid kits for the wider remote-response range.