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Forearm Crutch Measuring
Crutch Styles: Regular & Lo-bend
Basically, you should stay with the style crutch you are used to. The regular style is by far the
most common. It has a 17° bend above the handgrip. The Lo-Bend style has a 21° bend below the
handgrip and is useful to those people who lean far forward when walking. Lo-Bends will bring the
crutch tips closer to their feet making them walk taller without compromising their balance. If in
doubt, try our Demo Program.
Even if you are comfortable with the fit of your present crutches, check them against the following:
Correct Arm Cuff Location:
 The higher up on the forearm your arm cuff is the greater the mechanical advantage you get. However
if it is too high up, the cuff will bite into your upper arm when you stoop over to pick something
up from the ground. As a general rule of thumb, the distance between the point of your elbow to the
top of your arm cuff at the back should be about 3 inches if your are of average height of around
5'-8". If you are 6' tall or taller that measurement should be about 4". If you are 5' tall the
measurement should be about 2". The best way to measure this distance is to sit down with one
crutch on and point the crutch tip at the ceiling, bending your elbow at a 90° angle. Take a ruler
and lay it on the back of your forearm so the end of the ruler touches the back of the cuff. Then
read the distance to the point of your elbow. This is only a guideline, as we all know, no ones
body is perfect. If your current crutches are adjustable, try them at different heights. If you
decide that indeed your cuffs are too low by say an inch...add the inch to the X measurement after
you measure your crutch.
 To take the X measurement:
Do not use a ruler. Instead use tape measure. Hook the end of the tape on the top of the arm
 cuff at the back and run the tape down along the angle of the crutch until it touches the top back
surface of the hand grip as per the photo to the right.
The Y Measurement:
Do you often stub your crutch tips on the ground? It may mean you crutches are too long. Do you
feel stoop shouldered? They may be too short. Try this test. Standing tall with your crutches at
you side, allow your hand to drape over the your hand grip. The deep crease between the palm of
your hand and your wrist should line up with the top surface of your hand grip. If that crease
falls way above the top of the grip there is a good chance your crutches are too short. If the
crease is below the top of the grip your crutches are probably too long. Try different adjustment
holes. If one hole feels a bit too long and the other feels a bit short, split the difference when
submitting you final measurements.
To take the y measurement hook the end of the tape on the bottom of the crutch tip and measure to
the top surface of the hand grip.
 Cuff Size:
The last measurement we need is the distance around the largest part of your forearm. Wrap a string
around your arm and mark it before measuring its length. This will enable us to get you the correct
cuff size.
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