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Accuracy when Putting Your Foot Down

Sometimes after a leg fracture or surgery the doctor tells the patient to put only part of his or her weight on that leg. Using a bathroom scale to test the limits is a common practice. But does this method really work? The authors of this study say that using a bathroom scale to practice partial weight bearing isn't accurate.

Two groups of people were tested. One group of 23 patients was compared with a control group of six healthy people. The patients either had a leg fracture or surgery. The six people in the control group were put in a cast. Everyone in the control group was trained to put 20 to 40 percent of his or her body weight on the leg. The patients were given a limit by their doctors depending on their condition.

A physical therapist trained each person to use a bathroom scale to help determine how much weight to bear. Crutches were used to help during walking. Later in the week both groups walked on a special force platform that measures how much weight is applied through the foot.

All the members of the control group used more or less than the required body weight. No one was accurate. Almost all of the patients used more than the prescribed amount of weight. Two patients used less than required. Overall the control group did better than the patients. No one in either group could actually use the amount of weight they had trained with.

The authors conclude that partial weight bearing is hard to learn. Bathroom scales aren't a good way to teach patients how to use partial weight bearing when walking. The type of force platform used in this study to measure actual force is 2.7 times more accurate than other methods. A force platform should be used for the best results and when it is especially important not to overload the injured leg.

References: H. V. Dabke, MS, FRCS, et al. How Accurate is Partial Weightbearing? In Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. April 2004. Vol. 421. Pp. 282-286.

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