384 Unit 4 Healthcare Skills Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Ambulating with Crutches There are times when patients need to keep weight off their legs or feet. Normally this is due to an injury or surgical procedure. In these cases, the patient may have to use crutches. Crutches are seldom recommended for older adults because they require upper body strength. Types of Crutches. There are several different types of crutches (Figure 13.14): • Standard underarm or axillary crutches are generally made of wood or aluminum and can be adjusted for height. They have padding on the underarms and also have hand holds. These crutches are usually for short-term use. • Strutter crutches are similar to standard crutches but have a u-shaped underarm support that distributes weight over a larger area of the skin surface and also has a larger base. This provides better balance and helps alleviate any possible injury of nerves and blood vessels in the axilla. • Platform crutches use the same base as standard crutches but feature a horizontal, padded armrest. The patient using these crutches straps his arms onto each armrest and is then able to maneuver the crutches. • Forearm crutches are typically used for patients with disabilities. While these crutches can be used temporarily, they are often selected for long-term use. These crutches are designed so they can be slipped on and off through a forearm cuff that provides stabilization and allows for a tighter grip on the handholds. The cuff is usually aluminum or plastic and is shaped like a half-circle (open cuff) or complete circle (closed cuff). RTimages/Shutterstock.com Figure 13.14 Four types of crutches include the standard underarm crutches (A), strutter crutches (B), platform crutches (C), and forearm crutches (D). Ljupco Smokovski/Shutterstock.com Goodheart-Willcox Publisher A B D Vereshchagin Dmitry/Shutterstock.com C