I found this hard to believe as well but Googled the subject. Turns out that the airline has a very good reason for this. After several medical studies it was determined that if the fracture is "fresh" and your limb is confined in a plaster cast the pressurization of the aircraft cabin can cause the limb to swell abnormally. Since the cast limits the amount of room in which this swelling can take place it can result in complications ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain and loss of circulation in which case the flight would have to be diverted and you could have pemanent injury or even loss of the limb.
The "split" they are referring to does not mean removal of the cast. The cast would still be on and the limb immobilized but the split in the cast would allow for swelling. When you reach your destination you could have cast re-applied.
The fact that your medical release papers only had the date and not the time had the airline erring on the side of caution. They were only acting in their best interst and yours.
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