During the healing period after a foot injury, having surgery, or caring for a healing wound, non-weightbearing may be required. While crutches can be used to prevent pressure to foot, they can be very difficult to use safely. A rolling knee scooter can prevent falls and fatigue when used properly.
Follow these simple tips to prevent injury and make movement easier
Properly fitting your knee scooter to you:
- Adjust the height of the knee rest so the knee is at 90 degrees, the knee should not be acutely bent
- Adjust height of hand rest to fall around the height of the belly button or waist
- The scooter should have 4 wheels, the wider their separation the better for stability
- Tighten all height adjustment points, if left untightened the handlebars especially can be wobbly
How to move properly:
- Move slowly at the pace of a casual walker
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Debris - hitting a wheel on an object can make hands twist and create a fall
- Crack/joints in concrete or thresholds to rooms should be approached with both wheels square, or hands may twist
- In tight spaces like hallways use the Y turn to reverse direction
- Move slowly when backing up as the device in less stable when backing up
What NOT to do when moving:
- Do not lean backwards or forwards, should have body erect as if you were walking
- Do not lift the scooter and hop on one foot to make a turn in a tight space
- Do not take a corners quickly, it will cause the scooter to lean and possibly fall over
