Leg injury severity determines how long patients need crutches

The type and severity of a leg injury determine whether a patient needs crutches, a wheelchair or both, LSM reported. Doctors also advise patients to follow the weight-bearing restrictions set after an injury or operation.

When are crutches needed?

Andris Džeriņš, chief doctor at the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital, said the need for crutches depends on the injury. A broken toe may require a different recovery plan from an injury to the lower leg, weight-bearing bone or thigh bone, which can take up to six months to heal.

Some fractures, including those without displacement or with minimal displacement, are considered stable, allowing patients to begin putting weight on the leg relatively quickly. Other fractures require a prolonged period without putting weight on the injured leg. The same restriction may apply for an extended period after surgery.

“Each case is individual, and the treating doctor determines the regime that must be followed after an injury or operation,” Džeriņš said.

At the hospital, patients with sprains and bruises may need crutches for only a few days. More serious cases may require both a wheelchair and crutches when recovery takes longer.

A patient’s experience

Raivo, a patient at the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital, broke both legs in a car accident. A rod was inserted into one leg, while the other had not yet undergone the same procedure. Before arriving at the hospital, he used crutches.

After a cast was applied, Raivo said he could no longer use crutches safely because he tended to put his foot forward and his balance was still unstable. He began using a walking frame, but mostly moved around in a wheelchair.

Raivo was injured in the accident in March and has since undergone several operations. While in hospital, he mainly uses the walking frame provided there. His family will have to arrange the necessary mobility aids when he returns home.

The availability of mobility-aid rentals is more difficult in Latvia’s regions than in Riga, according to the article.