MN Company Designs Comfy Crutches Alternative, Mobilegs

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Since the Civil War, people who've gotten hurt or have had surgery have used traditional crutches. That's no longer the case.

"I injured myself several years ago and was issued this several years ago in the emergency room," said Minneapolis inventor Jeff Weber. "Within a matter of a few hours I realized how ill designed it was and how painful it was to use."

The creation of Mobilegs started out as self-described selfish pet project.

"I had nothing to do but sit on my butt," Weber laughed.

The first difference in these crutches you'll notice is the design.

"Now instead of wood, old crutches are aluminum and foam, but nothing beyond that has evolved," he said.

The most important modification is at the top, known as the cradle. Mobilegs uses a material that supports you similar to an office chair.

"Under your arm you have soft tissue, so whatever is supporting that should be as soft or softer," Weber said.

Because it's on a suspension device like the front of a bicycle, the crutch is able to move with users as they walk.

"We define comfort as the absence of awareness, so when you use this device compared to a traditional crutch, you don't even recognize the fact you're relying on it," Weber said.

Increasing mobility is one reason Mobilegs are becoming popular at hospitals and orthopedic clinics across the country.

"When we go to sell these to doctors, they do the analytics of looking at how it springs up and down. And the ultimate thing, they hold it up and go, you know what? it's really cool," said CEO John White.

Since his ACL injury, Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio is one of many celebrities who've used Mobilegs.

We're told actress Halle Berry and New Orleans coach Sean Payton have used them too.

As has WCCO's Frank Vascellaro during his recovery from hip surgery.

"I discovered these things and it was like night and day," Vascellaro said.

He used traditional crutches for half of his rehab during his first surgery and says he won't go back.

"The thing I like about them, is they're lighter, they're more comfortable. I think they're safer and they're so much easier to use," Vascellaro said.

Vascellaro said Mobilegs' best feature is the armpit cradle.

"I mean, you can actually rest on them. Whereas before, that hurt sometimes," he said.

In this case, less pain means more to gain.

"It means you can be on your feet more, exercise more and I think it leads to a better recovery," he said.

Price wise, Mobilegs are comparable to traditional crutches. They're $70 for the basic model but go up to $130.

Weber told us he's working on ways to expand the line by creating improved canes and walkers.

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