Rubber Crutch Tips

The tips of crutches often have a rubber stop on them to help a person gain traction on the ground, ease shock to the shoulder and prevent other injuries form accidental falls or pressure. These tips can become brittle and crack in the heat. You don't need to replace the entire set of crutches if the tips are worn or damaged; replacing the tips is all that is needed.

Warning for Replacement Need

• People often wait until it is too late to replace the tips on their crutches. This can be likened to waiting until the tires on your car are bald before replacing them. You are increasing your chance of an accident. Pay attention to the wear and tear on your crutch tips to determine whether they need to be replaced. If the metal washer at the base of the crutch is showing through, this is a sure sign that you need new tips. Rather than wait for the this extreme situation, watch the tread as you would on a car tire to see if the wear is balanced or almost completed worn out. Other signs are cracks in the length of the tip that might cause them to break off.

Replacement Tips

• Crutch tips should fit the crutch you are using. You will want to measure the shaft width if it isn't posted on a label on the crutch. The shaft size should be either 3/4 of an inch or 7/8 of an inch in diameter. Be sure to get a crutch tip that has a metal washer in it to act as a fail-safe mechanism for wear and tear damage. Also make sure to get a crutch tip that slides high enough up the shaft to be secure. Tips that don't go 2 inches to 3 inches up might slip off if caught at the right angle and possibly lead to a fall. Replacing crutch tips is inexpensive, costing about $5 for a pair. This is well worth the price to prevent further injury.

Terrain

• Just like shoes, the style of use and amount of activity coupled with the terrain will impact how quickly your rubber tips wear out. Hot surfaces like asphalt and cement can cause the rubber to melt. When it cools, this is can lead to cracking or an imbalanced sole. Dry climates may cause cracking sooner than more humid climates. Rubber tips should be used with more care on thick carpets as they may stick and cause you to pitch forward and fall. Don't walk over throw rugs or other movable floor covering as the rubber may cause the rug to move with you and lead to an accident. Always make sure the rubber tips are dry before you walk over linoleum or tiles to prevent slipping.