About this topic
After a surgery or injury to your leg, your doctor will tell you how much weight you can put on your leg. Follow your doctors orders so you can heal the right way and avoid problems. The specific types of weight-bearing restrictions are: ‚
- Nonweight bearing (NWB) ¢ ˆ ’ You may NOT put any weight at all on your leg. You will need to use a walker, crutches, or wheelchair to get around.
- Toe-touch weight bearing (TTWB) or touch-down weight bearing (TDWB) ¢ ˆ ’ You may only put your toes down lightly. This is for balance only. This often means you may not put more than 10% of your body weight on your leg. You will need to use a walker, crutches, or wheelchair to get around.
- Partial weight bearing (PWB) ¢ ˆ ’ You may only put about half of your weight on your leg. You will need a walker or crutches to get around.
- Weight bearing as tolerated (WBAT) ¢ ˆ ’ You may put as much of your weight on your leg as you can tolerate. This means you may use a walker, crutches, cane, or no device at all to get around.
- Full weight bearing (FWB) ¢ ˆ ’ You may put full weight on your leg. You may not need any device at all to help with walking.
Helpful tips
- If you are not sure how much weight to put on your leg, talk to your doctor. It is better to use less, rather than more. Try using a bathroom scale to feel how much weight you are putting on your leg.
- Talk to your doctor about therapy if you are having trouble moving about. This is very important if you are having trouble keeping the right amount of weight on your leg. You may need some other kind of device to help you move about.
- Do not put more weight on your leg than you are supposed to, even if you are feeling better. Putting too much weight down on your leg may slow the healing process and cause problems.
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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