Mobility Tools After an Ankle Fracture
You don’t fully appreciate having two legs until you’re down to one.
FROM THE TRENCHES
If there’s one thing people who have been non-weight-bearing agree on, it may be that there is no universally “best” mobility device. What feels wonderfully freeing to one person can feel downright dangerous to another.
Crutches inspire particularly strong opinions. One member of my Facebook support group said they were “scary” and affected her mindset as well as her mobility. Another fell with crutches in the ER, tried them again at home—and fell again. She eventually discovered that she much preferred a walker for stability and a knee scooter for getting around at work.
But crutches have their devoted fans, too. One woman called herself “a crutches girl the whole way” because she needed the flexibility they gave her, particularly with stairs. After two days using them on uneven terrain, she became comfortable with them and emphasized the importance of being shown how to use them properly. Her biggest practical complaint was a simple one: “I couldn’t carry anything.”
For some people, a walker provides the sense of security that crutches don't. One member who reinjured an already-twisted knee after falling with crutches switched to a walker and found it far more stable—ending what she jokingly described as the “fear of death going to the bathroom in the middle of the night.” But walkers aren't effortless, either. Another member hated hers because it made her upper body so sore.
Knee scooters earned some of the most enthusiastic reviews, especially because of the independence and speed they can provide. One woman found hers much quicker for getting around, although tight spaces took some practice and the scooter initially hurt her knee. Adding a padded knee cushion made an enormous difference. Others used scooters specifically to return to work or cover longer distances.
They come with their own warnings, however. Several people mentioned falls. One woman progressed from a wheelchair to a scooter, then a walker and finally a cane. She loved the independence the scooter gave her after the wheelchair—but she also crashed it once and took a tumble. Her conclusion was simple: the freedom was worth it, but “you do have to be careful.”
And sometimes a wheelchair is exactly what is needed. One member ordered one after a friend who had already been through ankle-fracture recovery told her it was the only way she could manage making dinner. Another felt safest in her wheelchair but was delighted when she could graduate to a scooter and regain some independence.
Perhaps the most revealing thing about these stories is the progression: wheelchair to scooter to walker to cane, or walker indoors and scooter at work, or crutches for stairs and a walker downstairs. Recovery doesn't necessarily require choosing one mobility device and sticking with it. The right tool may be the one that gets you safely through this stage, this room or this particular day.
Here’s the rundown on the most common mobility options.
Standard Crutches
The benefits of standard crutches are that they’re inexpensive and widely available. They also allow you to get up and down stairs; and they’re lightweight and portable. You can throw them in the car, and get into tighter spaces. And they can be useful when you’re learning to walk again—you can lean on one for security.
The downside is they can cause underarm or hand soreness, and they’re tiring to use for very long. Plus they require good upper-body strength and balance. It’s quite possible to wreck with them and re-injure yourself.
MY TAKE ON IT
Personally? I hate crutches. And you can’t carry anything... at the very least, you’ll need a backpack. But you’ll probably end up using them at least a little.
Knee Scooters (Knee Walkers)
Knee scooters support the injured leg at the knee, allowing you to roll forward with your good leg.
They’re comfortable for longer distances, relatively stable with good balance support, and often feature a basket for carrying your stuff. They’re also much faster than crutches or a walker. For me, the knee scooter was a life saver.
Drawbacks include that they’re not usable on stairs. Even getting up and down the one tiny step that went into our garage was a dangerous venture for me. (We hired a man to build a ramp as it quickly became clear that navigating it on my scooter was going to end badly.)
Another negative is that scooters require clear, open space to get around—but that’s only true to a point. It’s surprising how you can learn to drag around the front end to turn in a tight space.
I got the heftiest, most stable version I could find. My only problem with it was I got overconfident and started whipping it around, and scared myself more than once. Try to remember to drive cautiously.
Also, it may not fit into your car.
WORTH KNOWING
An all-terrain KneeRover knee scooter, with bigger wheels with treads, allows you to move over uneven ground and is less likely to tip over. I went on walks with mine around the outside of our pastures almost every day. It can be quite a workout through taller grass!
You may want to add extra padding to the seat as your shin can get sore. When I was using my scooter while wearing an aircast (CAM boot), I took also off the cast’s plastic insert that covers the front of the shin as it bruised my leg terribly.
Another Option: The Seated Knee Scooter
Hey, did you know there's a seated version of the knee scooter? Here's why some people prefer it.
A less familiar alternative to the traditional knee scooter is the seated knee scooter, sometimes sold as a seated orthopedic scooter or steerable seated scooter. Instead of kneeling on a padded platform with the injured leg bent behind you, you sit on a bicycle-style seat while the injured leg is supported in front.
One woman in an ankle-fracture support group was surprised that more people weren’t using them. She liked being able to sit rather than balance on one knee and said hers was easy to steer, folded for the car and felt far less likely to tip. Her post drew considerable interest from other people who had never realized a seated version existed.
That may make a seated scooter worth considering if you have balance problems, limited upper-body strength, difficulty kneeling, or simply don't feel secure on a traditional knee scooter. It can also give you somewhere to sit while you're moving around the house rather than requiring you to stand on one leg.
There are tradeoffs. A seated scooter still requires coordination and enough strength in the uninjured leg to propel and control it. It may be awkward in tight spaces, on thresholds or uneven ground, and not every model supports the injured leg in exactly the same way. Most important, don't assume that pushing yourself with the injured foot is permitted simply because you're seated. Your surgeon's weight-bearing restrictions still apply.
See an example of a seated knee scooter.
iWALK Hands-Free Crutch
This strap-on device supports the knee, allowing hands-free walking while keeping weight off the ankle. The benefits are: your hands are free for daily activities, it promotes a natural walking motion, and it’s an option if crutches or scooters aren’t practical.
Nevertheless, it comes with a steeper learning curve than other devices. It’s not suitable for everyone, either, as it requires good balance and strength. And you’re cautioned to avoid using it on slippery or uneven terrain.
Some of my friends have used iWALKs and loved them, so naturally I wanted one as well. I figured that my balance was pretty good and I’m strong. I was super excited about getting it as it meant perhaps I would be able to get up next to my horses and brush them.
It arrived in a million pieces and looked impossible to put together, but the video instructions were clear and I managed it. If I managed it, I imagine you can too, as that’s not my strong suit.
Alas, it was uncomfortable on my knee, even after adding extra padding. I was afraid of falling with it too. My bad leg was hanging out behind me, and if I fell it could be catastrophic. I practiced with it every day, but the grip on the bottom can easily catch and trip you. They do warn you about that on the instructions—they even have an official video- calling it “stubbing your iToe” and saying it rarely results in a fall, but I nearly took a header numerous times. I only ended up going outside with it on once. I gave it away to a woman I met in a Facebook fracture group.
Freedom Leg Brace
The Freedom Leg is a strap-on crutch alternative that redistributes weight to the upper leg, keeping the foot completely off the ground while allowing hands-free mobility. This is another hands-free design that lets you carry items and resume some of your daily activities. Benefits are that it provides more stability than some strap-on crutch devices, and it’s lightweight and relatively portable. Cautions include that it requires proper fitting and adjustment to be effective; it may take time to get used to walking naturally; and it’s not always suitable for long-term wear or uneven surfaces.
It’s pricier than the iWALK, but their website says it has 100% money back guarantee. Your leg is underneath you, not sticking out behind, so if you fall it’s not in such a precarious position. You can sit down in it as well, and it’s supposed to be much easier to use on stairs.
I didn’t personally buy this one, but on the Freedom Leg’s website, it gets great reviews.
Walkers
Standard Walkers (No Wheels)
Standard walkers have a solid frame without wheels. You lift the walker and move it forward step by step, making it one of the most stable mobility aids available. That extra stability can be especially helpful for people with significant balance challenges or those who need substantial support while walking. They are also relatively simple to use, without wheels, brakes or other moving parts to manage.
The tradeoff is speed and convenience. Because you have to pick up and reposition the walker each step, getting around is excruciatingly slow as well as tiring. Standard walkers can also feel bulky when maneuvering through small rooms, narrow hallways or other tight indoor spaces.
Front-Wheel Walkers (Two Wheels)
Front-wheel walkers have two wheels on the front legs, while the back legs remain stationary. The wheels allow the walker to glide forward rather than requiring you to lift the entire frame with every step. This makes them easier to move than standard walkers while still providing substantial support and stability.
Because the front wheels roll, these walkers do not provide quite as much stability as a walker with no wheels. They also require some ability to control the walker's forward movement and remain relatively slow compared with crutches or a knee scooter. For many people, however, they offer a useful middle ground between the stability of a standard walker and the easier movement of a wheeled mobility aid.
Rollators (Four Wheels + Seat)
These popular walkers are equipped with four wheels, hand brakes, and often a built-in seat. They’re mobile and easy to push. The built-in seat provides a place to rest, and the storage basket makes it practical. The Rollator was also my go-to device to pack in the car when we had to travel as my knee scooter wouldn’t fit in the car.
However, standard medical and physical therapy protocols explicitly contraindicate four-wheeled rollators for non-weight-bearing or partial-weight-bearing restrictions-- they’re less stable; can roll too easily if the brakes aren’t used properly; and they’re larger and heavier than basic walkers.
I was unaware of this and apparently ignorance is bliss, as I didn’t have a problem with the stability. In the first few days after my injury, I borrowed my mother’s and used it to get around the house as I didn’t have a scooter (as I hadn’t planned on breaking my leg). I bought one several days later.
During that time, before I got my knee scooter and when I was almost entirely dependent on the Rollator, I used it in a couple of unconventional ways. I would sometimes rest my knee on it and use it as a scooter. I also sat backwards on the seat and rolled on it, propelling myself with my good leg. I am quite sure these are not recommended or approved uses. (Seriously. Don’t do it.)
The Rollator might be useful to you as you progress in your healing and get the green light from your doctor or physical therapist.
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs provide complete mobility support when using crutches, a knee scooter or a walker isn't safe or practical. They offer a stable, comfortable way to get around and can be particularly useful for longer distances or when other mobility aids become too tiring. A wheelchair can also be a helpful option during periods when you need to be especially careful about keeping weight off the injured ankle.
There are some drawbacks. Wheelchairs can be difficult (impossible) to maneuver in small spaces and present obvious challenges anywhere there are stairs or other barriers. A manual wheelchair also requires enough upper-body strength to propel yourself or someone available to assist you. Relying on a wheelchair more than necessary can reduce the amount you use your muscles, so as recovery progresses, it is generally best to follow your doctor or physical therapist's guidance about when and how much to transition to more active forms of mobility.
NOBODY TOLD ME...
I didn’t buy or rent a wheelchair, but I learned to gladly accept the use of one when I visited my doctors. Valet parking likewise became a new friend. While an undeniable asset, getting into a bathroom – even an ADA compliant one, complete with a pad to open the door and a gigantic stall—was almost always a challenge in a wheelchair.
It gave me a new appreciation for disability-friendly places, and also for the folks who have to use wheelchairs on a more permanent basis.
Canes and Walking Sticks
A cane or walking stick can be useful when you’re allowed to put weight on the injured leg but still need a little extra support. It can improve balance, take some of the load off a sore or weak ankle, and give you more confidence as you transition away from crutches or a walker. A cane is also much less cumbersome than larger mobility devices, making it easier to use in tight spaces, on stairs and when you're out of the house.
There are a few catches. A cane isn't appropriate if you still need to keep most or all of your weight off the injured leg, and using one incorrectly can actually make walking more awkward. The cane is generally held in the hand opposite the injured leg and moves forward with that leg, allowing your stronger side to help support you. Height matters, too: with the cane beside you, the handle should generally come to about the crease of your wrist, leaving your elbow slightly bent when you hold it. Make sure the rubber tip isn't worn or slippery, and be particularly careful on wet floors, loose gravel and uneven ground. If you're not sure you're ready to graduate to a cane—or you're limping heavily even with one—ask your doctor or physical therapist before making the switch.