Anyone ever used a "knee scooter"?

[tripleup05]

Hey folks.

I'm a 25 year old healthy male, but due to an unquenchable love of dirtbiking, I broke my right ankle at the end of June. My surgery was almost a month ago, and I have come a long way. As of yesterday, I can put 100% of my body weight on it for a second or two before the pain gets too much. There is still a lot of swelling which the doc says is uncommon, but not unheard of. It is actually the swelling causing most of the pain, I think.

Anyways, we will be arriving at the World on Sept. 9th. While I have no worries about pain that far out, I really don't know how strong my ankle will be. My doc says I should be good, just a little stiff. I am not so optimistic. The last time this happened to the other ankle (go ahead and roll your eyes, mothers) the recovery was a breeze. I was 19. This time isnt as easy. I guess there is a big difference between 19 years young and 25 years old, lol

If necessary, I am considering using one of those scooters you prop your bad leg on to get around the parks. Anyone ever used one, or seen people using one? Would I be treated like someone in a wheelchair, while my party waits in the main line? Or would I just leave it in stroller parking and get in the main line? I will definitely be walking good enough to go short distances. Those things are expensive though. It would be real bad if it "walked away". I don't know who would steal a knee scooter though lol.

 

[SueM in MN]

They are called knee walkers.
I have not used one, but have friends who have and they both said it was wonderful. They had previous injuries they had used crutches for and said this was much better.

I have seen a fair number of people using them in use at WDW and the people seemed to be doing quite well with them. You can rent them at medical supply rental places and I think Care Medical rents them in Orlando.
See post 2 of the disABILITIES FAQs thread located near the top of this board (or follow the link in my signature).

If you are flying and bring one from home, airlines will carry mobility equipment free of charge and without it either counting toward your checked or carry on allowance. You can gate check it - which means you bring it all the way to the gate, get a gate check tag for it (usually from the gate agent before boarding begins). Then, just before getting on the plane, you fold it and leave it at the gate.
When you arrive at your destination, it will be brought to the gate/ doorway of the plane for you to pick up.
Depending on the plane's on board storage and how small the knee walker will fold up, you may be able to bring it on board and stow it.

For WDW, many people have a wrong misconception of how guests with mobility devices are handled. There are very few attractions with handicapped lines.
In most cases, guests with mobility devices use the same line to wait in as everyone else.
These are called Mainstream lines. The Studio and AK are newer parks and were built with almost every attraction having Mainstream lines. There are some attractions at those parks that have a different boarding area for guests with disabilities. For example, both Dinosaur at AK and Toy Story Mania at the Studio have stairs toward the end of the queue. In both of these attractions, guests with mobility issues or other disabilities that make stairs difficult wait in line with everyone else until just before the stairs. At that point there is a bypass they will be directed to that goes to the boarding area without using the stairs.

For those attractions, CMs will see you have a mobility device and direct you to the correct place or the line to follow will be marked with a handicapped symbol (wheelchair icon). All mobility devices ( wheelchairs, ECVs, walkers of various types, crutches ) are handled the sme and you don't need anything to use them in line. Because you will be standing and the knee walker might be hidden by other guests, you may occassionally need to point it out to CMs, but this won't usually be a problem.

Epcot and MK are older parks and were built before Mainstream Lines were thought of, but they have been adding Mainstream access as much as possible as they add or renovate attractions. You will find most lines are Mainstream even at those parks ( this is part of the ADA, which says people with disabilities should be handled 'in the mainstream' they same as other people as much as possible.

A mobility device can be brought all the way to the boarding area, or in theaters/shows, all the way to the seating area. For rides, it will normally be left where you board. If the unload area is a different place than the loading area, CMs will move it to the unload area after you board.

If you have to go to a different place to wait or to board, your party (up to a total of 6, including you) will be able to stay together and board together in most attractions. There are occassional exceptions - for example if the accessible boarding area is already quite full of people waiting - you may be asked to split up into smaller groups. This doesn't happen often as long as you entire group is no more than 6 people.

You also would have the option of leaving the knee walker or other mobility device in the stroller parking area with the strollers. If you do that, be aware that CMs move and rearrange strollers to keep things orderly and use the space most efficiently. So, your device may not be in the same spot you left it.

 

[jworkkul]

I broke my right ankle in February of this year and I tried the knee walker. Well, I had a terrible time using it. I found it to be difficult to maneuver and my good knee started bruising and my left hand had a big bruise on it from trying to keep it straight. After two days, I gave it up and went back on crutches.

I would rent an ECV instead. You do not have to use any energy on that and if it is hot out, you will need all the stamina you can get.

 

[peemagg]

I agree with jworkkul, I would personally rent an ECV before trying to use a knee walker in Disney World. They are ok for around home, but Disney would be much tougher on you considering that you would be using it for 6-10 miles per day. A ECV would be less wear and tear on the whole body, while protecting the injured foot.

 

[NancyDVC]

As a physical therapist I have seen many patients who have tried a 'knee scooter'. It can be difficult to use for some people. First to get on and off it you should have it side ways in front of you pointing toward your 'good' leg. That way you can stand grab the brakes and pivot on your good leg to put your injured leg on it. When you want to get off you 'walk' in front of the chair with your 'good leg' next to the chair. Then pivot in reverse on your good leg to sit. They can be rented from several sources. Just make certain that you get one with a swivel front and brakes.

As for doing Disney with a 'knee scooter' I would not try it. You are on your 'feet' all day with lots of miles traveled. It can be very tiring not to mention difficult to maneuver. I agree with jworkkul and peemagg that an ECV might be the better choice.

 

[FLmomof6]

Hey folks.

I'm a 25 year old healthy male, but due to an unquenchable love of dirtbiking, I broke my right ankle at the end of June. My surgery was almost a month ago, and I have come a long way. As of yesterday, I can put 100% of my body weight on it for a second or two before the pain gets too much. There is still a lot of swelling which the doc says is uncommon, but not unheard of. It is actually the swelling causing most of the pain, I think.

Anyways, we will be arriving at the World on Sept. 9th. While I have no worries about pain that far out, I really don't know how strong my ankle will be. My doc says I should be good, just a little stiff. I am not so optimistic. The last time this happened to the other ankle (go ahead and roll your eyes, mothers) the recovery was a breeze. I was 19. This time isnt as easy. I guess there is a big difference between 19 years young and 25 years old, lol

Can I ask what type of fracture you had the first time was? My 13 year old daughter has a bimalleolar fracture and torn ligaments (landed the wrong way on our trampoline ). Her injury was July 8th. She had surgery July 13th and now has screws, pins and wire. We are also suppose to be in Disney in September. I am curious if we should push it back some, to give her more time to heal. She doesn't want to change the reservation. Currently she has a cast, using a wheelchair and NO weight bearing. Everybody I have met, that has had an ankle fracture, is MUCH older than she is and took a very long time to heal. What I am wondering is....... when you were 19 and recovery was a breeze, was the fracture as severe?

 

[tripleup05]

Can I ask what type of fracture you had the first time was? My 13 year old daughter has a bimalleolar fracture and torn ligaments (landed the wrong way on our trampoline ). Her injury was July 8th. She had surgery July 13th and now has screws, pins and wire. We are also suppose to be in Disney in September. I am curious if we should push it back some, to give her more time to heal. She doesn't want to change the reservation. Currently she has a cast, using a wheelchair and NO weight bearing. Everybody I have met, that has had an ankle fracture, is MUCH older than she is and took a very long time to heal. What I am wondering is....... when you were 19 and recovery was a breeze, was the fracture as severe?

Thank you everyone for the input.

I can't compare our injuries exactly, but they certainly sound similar. Does bimalleolar mean she broke both inside and outside? My '06 injury was a fracture to the inside malleolar (tibia), whereas this time around it is to the outside malleolar (fibula). Due to some pretty serious misalignment, I received screws in '06, and screws and a plate this time around. I know there is a lot more detail to it than that, but the doc used a lot of medical jargon to explain everything, and that is about all I remember (or even understood).

In both surgeries, I went straight from surgery to a splint. No casts. I wore the splint for what seemed like forever in '06. I was so nervous about mobility and walking due to the length of time I stayed in the splint. I visited the doctor about once a week for a month after surgery, and he would remove the splint, take a look at the ankle, and wrap it back up. Finally, after about a month, he put me in a walking boot and told me to go to PT and start putting weight on it.

The transition from zero weight to walking in the boot (with crutches) took two days or so. I dropped the crutches in about another day, and walked stiffly but with little pain. I can't remember the exact time frame, but I think this went on for a few weeks. So after a few weeks or so of using the walking boot, I was told to start walking without it. It took a couple of days of using the crutches for assistance, but with three or four days of losing the boot, I also dropped the crutches and was walking "normal". Mind you, my ankle was really stiff and weak, but I was walking!

Summing it up, it took about a month and half to go from surgery to unassisted walking. Not normal walking, by any means, but I could get around just fine. It just made me tired, and I had to be really careful about not twisting or rolling my ankle.

I bet your child, being only 13, will have a pretty easy go of it. Joints just seem to heal faster when younger. I broke my scaphoid when I was twelve. I was casted from fingertip to shoulder for two months. Within 48 hours, I was moving my wrist and elbow *almost* like nothing ever happened.

With that said, she most certainly won't be 100% by the time your vacation comes. I know I won't be. Hopefully she will be in a walking boot by that point, though. They are cumbersome, but not to too terribly uncomfortable. If you get the ECV (which most seem to be recommending over the knee walkers) she shouldn't have any trouble transitioning from the chair to rides. Granted, you did say something about ligament damage, which I didn't have. I'm not sure how that would effect recovery.

All in all, I went through the stages of recovery easily and with little pain. Maybe I got lucky? I don't know. I just did what the physical therapists and doctors told me to do, and it worked out. This time, though, things are harder. I have been trying to walk for a week now, and the best I can do is put my right foot forward (the bad one) and quickly pull the left up to just behind the right. Taking a full step really, really hurts. I have quit trying until I go back to the doctor and explain it. Unfortunately, he sees no need in seeing me again until the 13th of August Its not that I can't handle the pain, its just that it might be at the level where my body is staying "Stop! You are making it worse!"

Best of luck to yall!

 

[FLmomof6]

I can't compare our injuries exactly, but they certainly sound similar. Does bimalleolar mean she broke both inside and outside? My '06 injury was a fracture to the inside malleolar (tibia), whereas this time around it is to the outside malleolar (fibula). Due to some pretty serious misalignment, I received screws in '06, and screws and a plate this time around. I know there is a lot more detail to it than that, but the doc used a lot of medical jargon to explain everything, and that is about all I remember (or even understood).

She broke both the tibia and fibula. It was explained to us, that breaking both bones at once means you also tore the ligaments. She had surgical incisions on both sides of her ankle/lower leg. Screws on the medial side(tibia), pins and wire on the lateral(fibula). We have 6 children and I have seen quite a few broken bones.... but nothing like this. She had a splint from the ER and 4 different casts from the Orthopedist. My impression from the Dr.s and medical staff is that they are hopeful she will recover quickly because of her age, but when I ask about the long term outcome (permanent limp, etc.) they tell me there is no way to know yet. The things they are sure of is that she will need surgery again in 6-12 months and that she will absolutely have arthritis in that ankle. Basically the only positive thing anybody has to say is, "she is young and may heal quicker." Your statement about healing quickly as a teen gives me more hope.

As far as an ecv, I don't think she can use one in the parks because she is a minor. Maybe they will rent to me and let her use it. I will call Disney and find out. We do have her wheelchair, but an ecv would be much easier.

Thank you for responding, hope you heal well.

 

[peemagg]

As far as an ecv, I don't think she can use one in the parks because she is a minor. Maybe they will rent to me and let her use it. I will call Disney and find out. We do have her wheelchair, but an ecv would be much easier.

I would not count on her being able to use a ECV even if you rent it in your name. You have to sign a contract saying that no one under 18 will be using it. Disney will definitely not allow her to use it and if they see her using it, they have the right to take it away with no refund. If you want one for her, I would see about renting one from home and bringing it with you. Otherwise a wheelchair is your daughters only option.

 

[tripleup05]

She broke both the tibia and fibula. It was explained to us, that breaking both bones at once means you also tore the ligaments. She had surgical incisions on both sides of her ankle/lower leg. Screws on the medial side(tibia), pins and wire on the lateral(fibula). We have 6 children and I have seen quite a few broken bones.... but nothing like this. She had a splint from the ER and 4 different casts from the Orthopedist. My impression from the Dr.s and medical staff is that they are hopeful she will recover quickly because of her age, but when I ask about the long term outcome (permanent limp, etc.) they tell me there is no way to know yet. The things they are sure of is that she will need surgery again in 6-12 months and that she will absolutely have arthritis in that ankle. Basically the only positive thing anybody has to say is, "she is young and may heal quicker." Your statement about healing quickly as a teen gives me more hope.

As far as an ecv, I don't think she can use one in the parks because she is a minor. Maybe they will rent to me and let her use it. I will call Disney and find out. We do have her wheelchair, but an ecv would be much easier.

Thank you for responding, hope you heal well.

Wow that sounds like a really rough thing for a young girl to go through. With the additional info, it seems that her injury is worse than either of mine. I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, though.

On the bright side, my doc in '06 was also really sketchy about my future prognosis. Even so, after about a year, it was like it never happened. I think he was just hesitant about giving false hope, but he knew it would probably be just fine, which it was. Hopefully that is what is going on with y'all.

Regardless, she will adjust and overcome. Kids are tough.

 

[momhmmx2]

I used a knee walker when I had ankle surgery 2 years ago at HOME and I LOVED it! Worth every penny! That being said.. There is no way my knee would have held out all day on the walker, several days in a row, touring miles at Disney. I rented an ECV while I was there with the crutch attachment and was very happy. Now I did go at a not so busy time which made touring with an ECV much easier.

 

[appleorchard]

I had a knee walker for two months this year. While it was great at home, I absolutely could not used it at places like Great Adventure- although I tried. It put too much strain on my thigh and other knee to keep pushing off with it. I ended up using an ECV.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

As far as an ecv, I don't think she can use one in the parks because she is a minor. Maybe they will rent to me and let her use it. I will call Disney and find out. We do have her wheelchair, but an ecv would be much easier.

With one exception, Disney and all the outside rental companies will not allow any person under 18 to drive an ECV. Randy's Mobility (see contact information in Post #2 of the FAQ sticky) will allow use by a teenage if they either have ECV experience or can demonstrate to the delivery person that they can handle it.

You also see about renting one from a location near where you live and bring it with you. Almost all ECVs break down into about five parts and can fit in luggage areas. That way she can get experience with it before going to the Parks. If you will be flying and not driving, all airlines will carry an ECV as a no-fee item in addition to any regular baggage allowance.

 

[Isabel]

I would stay as far away from those scooters as possible. They are not very steady and easily knocked over. My 78-year old mother was using one after surgery to repair tendon damage. She fell off a curb while using it, broke her other foot, and needed a plate and four screws to repair it. Now she just had surgery on the original injury because it didn't heal properly, probably because she walked on it too soon. Yet she still insists on using the knee scooter because she doesn't want to "be a burden" by using a wheelchair!