This Designer Revolutionized the Crutch

Crutches serve as a helpful aid for those with mobility issues, but they can also come with a slew of physical annoyances like wrist pain and armpit bruises. Plus, they require the use of one’s hands, making multitasking completely impossible.

Max Younger has seen this firsthand. His father, Dan, has been a frequent crutch user throughout his life due to a childhood injury. In 2008, Dan’s crutch use went from frequent to permanent when a staph infection led to a partial leg amputation. It was then that Younger decided to take his father’s comfort and well-being into his own hands.

Along with his wife Liliana, Younger co-founded Mobility Designed and created the M+D Crutch. The design allows users to rest their weight on their elbows, which frees up hands and shifts the pressure away from the arms and wrists.

With the M+D Crutch, a user’s elbows sit in foam-lined cradles, and adjustable handles are available, but not necessary. The cradle isn’t fixed, which means one can lift and move their arms around while the crutches are still in use. The device also features shock-absorbing feet that are customizable and can be changed to suit weather and terrain.

Despite a failed Kickstarter campaign, Mobility Designed is forging ahead with the M+D Crutch and will be selling them through their website for around $300 starting this summer.

To get a better sense of how the M+D Crutch changes the assisted mobility game, check out the video below.