Definition – What are crutches?
Walking aids (colloquially also called crutches) are called forearm crutches where the body weight is taken with the forearms and hands to relieve the legs. They basically consist of a metal tube which serves as a support. At the lower end is a rubber capsule, which provides slip resistance. The upper end consists of a handle and a cuff that wraps around the forearm and serves as additional support. The forearm crutches are usually adjustable in size.
Who needs crutches?
Forearm crutches are mainly required for injuries to the feet, legs or hips. They serve to relieve the injured structure, as the body weight is absorbed by the arms and thus the injured leg does not have to be loaded. Common injuries include bone fractures, sprains, bruises, torn or stretched ligaments, etc.
Injuries to the sole of the foot, which do not allow loading, can also be an indication for the use of crutches. For all types of injuries, the arms should take over the part of the body weight that the injured leg cannot support. Usually the crutches are only needed for a short time (a few days to weeks) until the injury has healed sufficiently.
The crutches are used especially after operations on the feet and legs. People who are particularly shaky on their legs can also benefit from forearm crutches. The crutches are mainly used for the prophylaxis (prevention) of falls that could result in serious injuries.
What are the different types?
The forearm crutches differ in color at first. There are also different sizes. Almost all crutches are height adjustable.
Particularly small or large people may still have to resort to special models. Also the maximum load weight differs between the different types. The standard forearm crutches are usually made for a maximum of 100 to 120 kg body weight.
However, there are also models that can tolerate higher weights. The forearm crutches also differ in the type of handles. For example, there are the “normal” crutches, which have a plastic handle.
There are also anatomical or ergonomic handles available, these are usually made on hard rubber instead of hard plastic. The arm cups, which serve to additionally stabilize the forearm on the crutches, are available in two different designs: This one type forms a semicircle (approx. 180°) in which the forearm can be placed.
The other model covers almost 360° and therefore embeds the arm practically in its entirety. Both arm cups are usually made of hard plastic. Different materials are also used for the supporting metal tube.
Mostly it is a steel tube, but light metal is also used. There are also some special models that can be folded and unfolded for better transport. Special forearm crutches are also made for children. These are of course shorter and designed for a lower body weight. In addition, the plastic components of the crutches are usually colored instead of plain colored.
