Information About Crutches

Crutches help people with lower body and certain spinal injuries regain mobility. Crutches may be made of wood or metal and may fit under the patient's underarm or bear the patient's weight on their hand and forearm.

History

• Egyptian art depicted people walking with crude wooden crutches with underarm padding. Emile Schlick patented a crutch design incorporating upper arm support in 1917 and Thomas Fetterman designed forearm crutches, which were first produced in 1988.

Types

• Axillary crutches fit beneath your underarms, extending to the ground, and give patients mobility while allowing them to keep weight off of an injured leg. Lofstrand, or forearm crutches, have cuffs that fit around the forearm and are given to people who need upper body support.

Use

• The "step to" method is the most common means of movement with crutches. The patient sets both crutches on the ground in front of her, moves her injured leg forward and follows with her good leg.