Walking with Crutches or Walker (Non-Weight-Bearing)
Safe, non-weight-bearing walking using crutches or a walker to protect the healing bone.
What it helps
Safe walking with crutches or a walker that keeps weight off the healing leg, protecting the bone while you stay mobile.
How to do it
- Keep all weight off the surgical foot, using your crutches or walker.
- Take short, level trips as needed.
- Keep the foot elevated when resting.
Tips
- Follow your surgeon's weight-bearing instructions exactly in the early weeks.
Commonly done as needed.
Where this appears in recovery
Walking with Crutches or Walker (Non-Weight-Bearing) is part of 13 recovery programs, most often at the immediate recovery (weeks 0–2), protected healing (weeks 0–2) and wound care and early motion (weeks 0–4) stages, among others. Each program shows how it fits alongside the other movements:
- ACL Revision Reconstruction exercise guide
- PCL Reconstruction exercise guide
- Fasciotomy (Compartment Syndrome) exercise guide
- Microfracture (Knee Cartilage) exercise guide
- MACI Cartilage Implantation exercise guide
- Hip Arthroscopy with Labral Repair exercise guide
- Osteochondral Autograft (OATS) exercise guide
- Meniscal Repair exercise guide
- Meniscal Allograft Transplantation exercise guide
- Ankle ORIF (Bimalleolar) exercise guide
- Femoral Shaft Fracture ORIF exercise guide
- Bone Cyst Curettage with Bone Grafting exercise guide
- …and 1 more
All exercise guides · Condition guides · Recovery education
These are general exercise guides, not a personal prescription. The repetitions and frequency shown are what's commonly used — your own surgeon or therapist may advise something different, and their guidance comes first.