What You Should Know About Wheelchair Elevating Leg-Rests

Most wheelchairs have a number of items that are adjustable and that can be aligned, as well, for comfort and convenience. These rests are used to elevate the legs placing them in extended, knee-straight positions with "calf-pads" that are either padded or covered with a hard, plastic material. Foot-plates and calf-pads can be adjusted for improved alignment and foot-placement, as well. Some of these devices have an articulating feature that allows them to be extended and become longer as the leg is elevated. Usually, they are ordered for the control of foot and/or leg edema (swelling).

PROS

• The leg-rests keep the leg extended for those who have limited knee-flexion (knee fixed in a straight-position) or for those who require this position, that is, after an operation.

• On a chair with a powered recline-system, powered these elevating rests are useful in help-ing a user into the supine-position (lying on one’s back) or into the reclining position.

• Sometimes, changing the leg-positions is helpful in resolving discomfort or pain in the lower extremities.

CONS

• The leg-rests increase the weight of the wheelchair as well as increase the cost.

• They have a number of moving parts that may "lock-up" or become difficult to manipu-late, but rarely.

• A certain amount of co-ordination and strength is required to operate these leg-rests, without assistance. (At the same time, the user must bend over to one side, depress a lever and lift the leg.)

• The extent of edema-control (swelling) is questionably a benefit since the extremity is nowhere near the level of the user’s heart, even with the elevated height.

• Elevating the leg may result in a somewhat flexing-of-the-knee depending on the length of the user’s leg.

• When the leg is elevated, it makes the chair longer resulting in the need for an increase in "turning-radius" and space and possibly, a re-positioning of the legs and hips.

• The elevating rests, after a period of time, may become warped or worn from the weight of supporting the legs and may become "abducted" (away from each other) result-ing in poor positioning of the legs and hips.

• The leg-supporting pad, an integral part of the leg-rest, may push against the user's calf, pulling the user forward on the seat, resulting in a slouched position and/or result in some pain with the sciatic (tailbone) nerve.

• At the highest-point of the rest is a "joint" that has a tendency to rub on the outside of the user's leg.

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