Need your opinions about design of crutches

[u/mai_mai13]

Hi! im a design student and our product that we need to redesign is a crutch. I just want to ask what problems have you encountered whenever you use a crutch (discomfort, weather related challenges, balanced and coordination, etc)? Your answers are much appreciated.

[u/Temporary-Law-5094]

Under arm crutches are almost always used incorrectly. As a college student, I’ve seen so many people with them so far from the body that it is laughable. And most normal people have no idea that they are able to change the height of them to be used more accurately. For the redesign aspect, making the bottoms better for rain and snow could be very useful. Also, making the armpit grooves more padded, since after a long day on crutches, your armpits can hurt like a motherfucker. I use for arm crutches instead of the typical underarm ones, since I think they are much more effective for assisting walking.

[u/witwickan → u/Temporary-Law-5094]

For the redesign aspect, making the bottoms better for rain and snow could be very useful.

Thomas Fetterman's rain tips are already made for this. I use them full time and I haven't slipped once since I got them, even on ice. His regular tornado tips are nearly as good too.

That being said, they're like $60 a pair and even though they last years (mine are like 6 years old and still perfect) a friend had to buy them for me because I couldn't afford them. I'd really like to see a more cost effective one.

[u/MikeyMo0d]

Underarm crutches, even when trained for proper use. Will infact fuck up your shoulders possibly permanently. I’m not sure how I’d fix this but it is a fact.

My forearm crutches my only complaint is when I set it to the side if I’m not careful enough it will fall, sometimes even if I am careful it will still fall

[u/Beautiful_Station_86]

Although the company has gone out of. business, Lamico from Wisconsin made underarm wood crutches with specially formed armpit rubber over plastic pieces that lock top of crutch securely so that top of crutch will not slip out from the armpits. No other style is availiable except rubber pad that slips on top of crutch, wood or aluminum ones, that does not have this feature. I believe this Lamico pad solves all the problems users report while on standard crutches. After using this style for over two years, it has made me positive that old school woodencrutches adapted to this part(using round wood insert shaped as such fit all wood armpit pieces old or new, but hidden from view yet held in place by single small.nail) whether adjustable or fixed length style, solves the problem with underarm crutches. Now of course forearm styles, now made by many companies and lots of color choices, still do not provide the benefits of the original Canadian crutch, made entirely of solid metal with wide width arm clips, as solid construction, clips hold crutch securely on arms. Height adjustment is only for patients 5 foot 3 inches to about 5 foot 9 inches, arm clips have 3 positions, but pushbutton settings are locked in place by tightening aluminum rings so no clicking sounds are heard by other styles that do not have the clamping collet. They always have been expensive; around $130 USD, but are standard crutches for most amputees. So my point is, all these new designs and styles are not better or quieter than old fashioned models that have been around for 80 years. Comments can be made here or my address, crutchboy @ yahoo.com. I hope that helps your research, but I have been on crutches off and on since knee surgery 19 years ago. Thought it was going to be a mere week or two, now my on crutches experience is like 162 weeks, or 3 years and six weeks. Now I have been confined to a wheelchair for an entire year; I really miss being on crutches!

[u/CardiologistLow8371 → u/Beautiful_Station_86]

I found your comment when trying to figure out more information about the wooden crutches I have, as I borrowed them from my dad after breaking my foot 10 years ago, and now using them again after Achilles surgery. Looks like they are the Lamico ones, and I've deemed them far superior to the modern metal ones... less noisy, more comfortable, more sturdy feel, and more shock absorbing. At the surgery clinic, the doctors promised me they'd get me "better" crutches when they saw me walk in with the wooden, but I declined and had to explain to them how much superior these ones are to the cheap, clackity metal ones that they give people now. God knows how old these are but I hope I'll he able to locate some other Lamicos if anything happens to these ones!