The patient is postoperative day 1 after surgery on the right knee and is to begin to walking with crutches using the three-point gait. Which does the nurse correct for the patient when ambulating with crutches?
a. Moves the right crutch first, left crutch second, and right leg last
b. Begins in the tripod position and bears all weight on the left leg
c. Slips three fingerbreadths between the crutch padding and the patient's axilla
d. Flexes elbows at approximately 20 degrees while walking with crutches
A
The three-point gait requires the patient to advance both crutches at the same time with the af-fected leg while the unaffected leg bears the body weight. This technique allows the patient to avoid weight bearing on the affected leg by using a stable base of support. Moving the right crutch and then the left crutch is not the correct coordination for a three-point gait. The other op-tions are correct for using a three-point gait.
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