Abstract
Unilateral musculoskeletal below knee injuries occur with great frequency. Patients who cannot bear weight on an injured limb usually mobilise with standard crutches. However when the patient also has an upper limb injury, mobilisation may be impossible and can result in a lengthy in-patient stay. We present its value in facilitating early discharge in patients with both upper and lower limb injuries. We show the cost benefit of the saving in in-patient stay that the hands free crutch provides. We present our experience in which this innovative crutch was used and discuss the potential of this device to be used more often in orthopaedic surgery.
Correspondence should be addressed to Mr Bimal Singh, BOSA at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE
