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CRUTCHES
A knee support crutch
A typical forearm crutch
Crutches are medical tools used in the event that one's leg or legs may be injured or unable to support weight. The term, crutch, can also refer to anything used by a person as a psychological or emotional prop, or to something used as an excuse not to engage in normal life activities.
Medical Crutches
Types
There are several different types of medical crutches:
- Under-arm
- These are the most common type in the United States, and are used most often by people with temporary disability or injury. These are used by placing the pads under the armpits and holding the grip, which is below and parallel to the armpit pad. These are sometimes known as axillary crutches.
- Strutters
- These are a new technology and much needed redesign of crutches, which have been unchanged since the Civil War era. The large, skid-resistant sole remains flat on the surface while the user walks. They provide a correct walking gait, and body weight is evenly distributed throughout the underarm, eliminating the risk of nerve damage caused by long-term use of traditional (old-style) crutches.
- Forearm
- These are the most common type in Europe, but used in the US almost exclusively by people with permanent disabilities. These are used by slipping the arm into a cuff and holding the grip. At least in the US, these are sometimes referred to as Canadian crutches.
- Platform
- These are less common and used by those with poor hand grip (due to arthritis, cerebral palsy, etc.). The arm rests on a horizontal platform and is strapped in place.
- Knee Support
- These type of crutches allow the knee of the injured leg to be placed on a support, whereby the injured leg now points backward behind the patient. This style of crutch affords the patient the ability to have one or both hands free to carry objects. Upper thigh atrophy is also reduced due to the fact that half the patients weight is now supported by each thigh rather than one thigh and the armpits
Information on Usage
Several different gait patterns are possible, and the user chooses which one to use depending on the reason the crutches are needed. For example, a person with a leg injury generally lifts the injured leg, places both crutches in front of himself, and then swings his uninjured leg to meet the crutches. Other gaits are used when both legs are equally affected by some disability.
Slang Terminology
The term, crutch, is also used in slang terminology to mean, "Something that is not fashionable or reliable." Example: Those shoes are so crutch. When are you gonna buy some new ones? The term relates to the term, "Lame" which contains a similar if not identical slang meaning.
Additionally, the word "crutch" can refer to an object that is a weakness, that the bearer requires in order to function (metaphorically)
Materials
- Wooden
- Steel/ other metals
- Carbon fiber
External links
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