Weight-distribution Variables in the Use of Crutches and Canes

Abstract

In comparative studies of various gait patterns associated with the use of crutches and canes, the supporting forces are measured by pressure transducers attached to the weight-bearing points and connected to a Sanborn polygraph. The results indicated that when an individual with partial disability on one side walks with a cane, weight bearing is distributed most effectively if the cane is used on the side of the normal leg. During a twopoint gait, the amount of weight shared by the assistive devices was relatively small. During a threepoint gait with crutches, the amount of weight borne by the subject’s leg varied considerably from the amount he had been trained to estimate.