Any ideas on how to how negotiate stairs with no rails with full leg cast (can't bend knee/put weight on leg)?

Answer 1

Since there are no rails you're going to have to be careful, but this worked best for me.

First, sit on a stair with your back to the top, legs going down the stairs.

Next, put both of your hands on a stair behind you & uninjured leg on a stair below you.

Now scoot on your bottom to the next step using your three working limbs for balance. Be sure to lift your injured leg up so it doesn't bump the stairs. That can cause a lot of pain as I know from experience.

This technique works pretty good going up & down especially after you get the hang of it.

Good luck & I hope you get well soon!

Answer 2

I have had my leg in a full cast on several different occasions. How I negotiated stairs was to crawl, on my behind, pulling myself with my arms and hands up or down the stairs. I've done this for months at a time.

Best wishes,
Billie

Answer 3

Scoot on your butt. My husband had surgery for a torn meniscus and they couldn't just remove the torn part, they had to stitch it... so he couldn't bend his knee for a week or bear weight for 6 weeks. His doc said to negotiate our stairs (with rails) in that way. The one time hubby tried to go down the stairs on the crutches standing up, he fell and hurt his knee even worse, neccessitating a trip back to the doc and stronger painkillers. Trust me, scoot on your butt.