Crutches

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HealthWiki > Disabled Village Children > Chapter 63: Walking Aids > Crutches

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Top of crutch should be 3 fingers’ width below armpit, so it does not press under the arms.

RIGHT

Elbow should be bent a little so that arms can lift body when walking.

Handgrip should be placed for comfort— usually about ⅓ of the way down crutch.

WRONG		RIGHT
WARNING! Bearing weight under the arms like this can cause nerve damage that in time can lead to numbness and even paralysis of the hands.		Teach the child to put weight on her hands, not on her armpits. full weight on hands
wrist drop from crutch pressure
		One good way to make sure the child does not hang on the crutches with her armpits is to use elbow crutches like this.

There are many designs for underarm crutches. Here we show a few.

CRUTCHES FROM TREE BRANCHES, padded with wild kapok

WOODEN CRUTCHES

dowel 2½ cm to 3½ cm padded top wood screws 2½ cm if hard wood 3 cm if soft wood piece of rubber about ⅓ about ⅔

Design from Poliomeyelitis, Huckstep.

METAL CRUTCH

wood pole Drill holes ¼ inch to ⅝ inch (6.5 mm to 1.6 cm) steel rod or re-bar metal strip Weld metal washers to rod piece of tire about ⅓ about ⅔

from Poliomeyelitis, Huckstep.

ADJUSTABLE WOOD CRUTCH

STANDARD

sponge rubber padding

wing nut

thin bolt

washers

side view showing holes for height adjustment

Handgrip adjusts by putting bolt through higher or lower holes.

bolts with wing nuts

standard rubber crutch tip

LEATHER RING ELBOW CRUTCH

These crutches are easy to make and work well for children who have strong arms and hands.	leather ring rivets sawed-off crutch
A disadvantage is that if a child falls he may have trouble getting his arms out quickly.

OTHER ELBOW CRUTCHES

STANDARD ADJUSTABLE

metal band covered by leather or padding

joint that allows movement of elbow band

adjustable

thin steel or aluminum tube

USING LOCAL RESOURCES

thick bamboo bolts bent bamboo or cane cane wrap bamboo bolt Design from Philippines bamboo

piece of bamboo or plastic pipe or heat and bend any piece of thick plastic Design from PROJIMO

Gutter crutch (“arthritis crutch”) for children who, due to elbow pain or stiffness, cannot use straight-arm crutches.		Crutch for a child with weak elbow-straightening muscles.
STANDARD	USING LOCAL RESOURCES
adjustable	bamboo or plastic Bend ends of branch and bind them together tree branch with forks	crutch top with deep notch padded block loop of leather or soft, strong cloth

These are only examples. Once you get the idea, you can invent your own. A lot of experimentation is often needed to adapt crutches for children with severe arthritis.

Canes and walking sticks

Straight poles can help a child who has difficulty with balance.
CAUTION! Use poles that are taller than child so if she falls, they will not poke her eyes.		Canes. Simple canes provide some balance and support, but the child has to use the walking muscles in both legs.
					For the child who needs to strengthen a weak or painful leg, a cane makes him use his leg. A crutch lets him avoid using his leg, so the muscles that bend his leg get stronger, rather than the ones that straighten it (see "Precautions in Providing a Child with Aids, Equipment and Procedures".)

CANES CUT FROM FOREST PLANTS

ADJUSTABLE METAL TUBE CANE

inside view

adjustable cane height

nut and bolt

3 OR 4 FOOTED CANE — FOR GREATER STABILITY

STANDARD METAL TUBE

wire to help keep legs from splitting

ALTERNATIVE HAND GRIP

Split top of pole

Bind base to keep from splitting more.

Rubber tip made from car tire for metal tube or bamboo crutch or cane
STANDARD CRUTCH AND CANE TIP

With a sharp knife or grinder, cut a plug of car tire in this shape.

Force it into the tube and fasten it with a screw.

metal ring

For walking in sandy places make crutch and cane tips extra wide.

This page was updated:04 Apr 2024