The energy expenditure of non-weight bearing crutch walking on the level and ascending stairs

- Stair climbing with crutches requires higher energy expenditure than normal stair climbing in healthy adults.
- Gait using crutches on level ground also requires higher energy expenditure than normal gait on level ground in healthy adults.
- Stair climbing with crutches requires higher energy expenditure compared to walking with crutches on level ground.

Crutches are commonly prescribed to patients with lower limb dysfunction during rehabilitation to assist with mobility. The aim of this study was to determine the energy expenditure for non-weight bearing crutch walking on level ground and ascending stairs at a self selected speed in a healthy adult population. Thirty-one healthy male and female adults (mean ± SD: age 21.6 ± 1.2 years; height 170.8 ± 10.8 cm; weight 70.8 ± 11.4 kg) mobilised non-weight bearing with elbow crutches along a 30 m corridor and (with one crutch) up a flight of 13 stairs.Energy expenditure for each activity was measured by indirect calorimetry using the COSMED K4b2 portable ergospirometry system. The established VO2 values were 16.4 ml/kg/min for crutch walking on level ground and 17.85 ml/kg/min for stair climbing. Non-weight bearing crutch walking at a self selected speed on the level ground and up a flight of stairs resulted in a MET value of 4.57 and 5.06 respectively. The mean heart rate (HR) for crutch walking along the flat was 117.06 ± 20.54 beats per minute (bpm), while the mean HR for ambulating upstairs with crutches was 113.91 ± 19.32 bpm.The increased energy demands of non-weight bearing crutch walking should be considered by physical therapists when instructing patients on crutch use. Further investigation to determine the implications of these results in populations with chronic disease is warranted.