Forearm Crutch Measuring

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.