Ambulation Aid for Nonweightbearing Foot and Ankle Injuries<subtitle>Suggestion from the Field</subtitle>

Abstract

Patients with injuries that preclude one leg from bearing weight frequently must use crutches. The difficulties of crutch ambulation are apparent to anyone who has used crutches for more than a few hours. Crutch ambulation is cumbersome and tiring. Using crutches strains the patient's body, often causing muscle aches and stiffness. Also, the activities of patients on crutches are limited. Their ambulation is compromised, and they have difficulty carrying things and working with their hands because their hands are not free. The purpose of this article is to describe a brace that allows patients with distal lower limb injuries to walk without the conventional use of crutches. The brace holds the knee in 90 degrees of flexion, places the patient's weight primarily on the knee and distal portion of the shank, and transmits his weight through a pedestal to the floor (Fig. 1).…