Crutch loading and spatiotemporal effects while using pneumatic ergonomic crutches

We evaluated the Pneumatic Ergonomic Crutch (PEC), which consisted of a pneumatically-activated sleeve orthosis worn to improve wrist posture and loading when using a Lofstrand crutch. A spring-loaded piston pump at the PEC crutch tip was used to harvest pneumatic energy for pressuring the orthosis and provide shock absorption. Comparison between PEC, traditional Lofstrand crutch (TLC) and spring-loaded crutch (SLC) during swing-through crutch-assisted gait found that the¶ PEC resulted in a significantly lower maximum rise rate of ground reaction force (GRF). Furthermore, the PEC did not change peak GRF magnitude nor spatiotemporal parameters compared with TLC, whereas the SLC increased peak GRF.