Is a walking boot as good as a cast?
For all patients with ankle fracture, immobilisation is a critical part of treatment. Short-leg walking boots (WBs) have been reported to be an effective alternative to plaster casts (PCs) that could shorten this postoperative recuperative period.
What is the difference between a walking boot and a cast?
Removable – the walking boot can be removed for showers or baths. Less skin damage – skin underneath a cast can become raw and painful. The open-air design and lightweight material helps to prevent skin damage when wearing a walking boot. No loud saws used – walking boots can be removed without the use of loud saws.
What does an orthopedic boot do?
Orthopedic boots protect broken bones and other injuries of the lower leg, ankle, or foot. They prevent more damage and help the area heal. Your doctor may have you use a boot for 1 to 6 weeks. How long you wear it depends on how serious your injury is.
What are cast boots for?
Walking casts (also commonly referred to as walking boots, air casts, or stabilizers) are specially designed devices that serve to immobilize certain regions of the leg—ranging from just the ankle all the way up to the foot through the calf.
Can I walk in a walking boot without crutches?
The short answer is no: You don’t need crutches with a walking boot. While you shouldn’t generally put weight on a walking boot, other mobility aids can be used instead of crutches to prevent this from occurring. These include wheelchairs, canes, walkers, and others.
Is there an alternative to a cast?
Splints, also known as half-casts, provide less support than casts, but are faster and easier to use. They also can be tightened or loosened easily if the swelling in the arm or leg increases or decreases. Ready-made or off-the-shelf splints are available in many different sizes and shapes.
Should I wear a sock with a walking boot?
Adding a sock to the equation is a good idea for a few reasons: It will help reduce any friction between the brace and your skin, which can help prevent any chafing or blisters. Socks for walker boots can act as a buffer between your foot (and its sweat and dead skin cells) and the brace.
How do you walk with a cast on your foot?
Practice Proper Walking Technique: Most of your bodyweight should rest on your handgrips and not on your underarms. Lean forward and put both crutches about 1 foot ahead of you. Now shift your weight onto the crutches and slowly bring your body and good foot forward.
Can you walk with a cast boot?
Walking: You may walk on the foot as comfort allows but you may find it easier to walk on your heel in the early stages. If supplied, wear the boot for comfort and use crutches when walking. It is ok to take the boot off at night, when resting at home and to wash.
How do you walk up and down stairs with a walking boot?
Place the two front legs of the walker on the first step. Hold the walker with one hand and the handrail with the other. Supporting your weight evenly between the handrail and walker, step up with your good leg. If descending the stairs, follow the same instructions, but step down with the injured leg.
Can you drive with a walking boot on right foot?
At first glance, driving with a boot or cast on your right foot may seem possible, it is discouraged by doctors. It is not safe. Driving while wearing a cast or boot may lead to accidents because you are more prone to being distracted, and your reflexes are slower.
What is the purpose of an orthopedic boot?
Orthopedic boots may also be known as walking casts or walking boots. They are used in the treatment of injuries to the lower leg, foot and ankle. Orthopedic boots may be used to immobilize ankle fractures, foot fractures, sprains, stress fractures, tendinitis and other soft tissue injuries.
What is a walking cast boot?
A walking cast, also known as a walking boot, is an orthopedic boot specifically made to be used to support the calf, ankle or foot. It works to immobilize the movement of the ankle while walking, and is commonly used to resolve a variety of foot and lower leg conditions or injuries.
What is a boot cast?
A cast boot is a shoe which has been designed to fit over a cast, typically a walking cast. People wear cast boots to protect their casts and to help them walk as normally and comfortably as possible while wearing the cast.
What is air cast boot?
An air cast boot encases the injured joint or foot inside an air cushion, which is in turn encased in a hard plastic shell. As an alternative to a traditional cast, the air cast boot promotes faster healing time, more mobility, and the ability to remove the cast so the injury can be exposed to fresh air or…