Comparison of Hip and Low Back Loads between Normal Gait, Axillary Crutch Ambulation and Walking with a Hands-free Crutch in a Healthy Population.
Karl Orishimo, Amir Shapira, Ian Kremenic and 2 others
PMID 34909252WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy people walking with a hands-free crutch had lower hip loads than axillary crutches but greater low-back loads than normal walking.
They also walked slower, so this does not show the device is safe or better for patients.
Key findings
01Peak hip joint reaction force was 30% lower during hands-free crutch walking than axillary crutch walking.
02Peak low-back reaction force was 18% greater during hands-free crutch walking than normal walking, but not different from axillary crutch walking.
03Walking speed was 33% lower with the hands-free crutch than axillary crutch ambulation and 44% lower than normal gait.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used 12 healthy subjects, 11 men and 1 woman, not patients with lower-limb injury or weight-bearing restrictions. Participants had only about half an hour to acclimate to the hands-free crutch, which may have slowed their gait. Gait speed was not standardized, so the lower hip and vertical forces with the hands-free crutch may reflect slower walking rather than the device alone. The device is only suitable for below-the-knee injuries, and the tested population was able-bodied, so results may not apply to all patients. The methods do not describe condition randomisation or blinding of outcome assessment.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the hands-free crutch is safer or better for patients. It was tested in 12 healthy people for only about half an hour of practice, and its lower hip loads came with slower walking and higher low-back loads than normal walking.