Biomechanically derived crutch

1. A crutch to assist a user in walking, comprising:

an elongate leg having a top end and a bottom end, a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion;

the crutch further comprising a first side direction, a second side direction opposite the first side direction, a third side direction perpendicular to the first side direction and a fourth side direction opposite the third side direction,

wherein the elongate leg extends from a saddle to a foot; and

has a cantilevered handle disposed on the middle portion and extending between the first side direction and the second side direction;

wherein the saddle extends in an elongate shape between the first side direction and the second side direction;

wherein the handle extends in an elongate shape between the first side direction and the second side direction;

wherein the elongate leg middle portion extends to the first side direction of an axis extending between the top end of the elongate leg and the bottom end of the elongate leg,

wherein the handle is cantilevered and has a fixed end and a free end;

the saddle having a frame supporting a resilient portion, a pivoting joint attached to the frame, and a spring mechanism having an upper portion, said spring mechanism upper portion being attached to the pivoting joint such that the pivoting joint is adapted to allow the spring mechanism to move with respect to the saddle frame along an arced path with respect to the resilient portion,

further wherein the spring mechanism is removably attached to the top end of the leg of the crutch.

2. The crutch of claim 1 wherein the crutch leg is adapted to receive a portion of the spring mechanism.

3. The crutch of claim 2 wherein the spring mechanism comprises a pin extending laterally and wherein the crutch leg includes a vertical slot configured to lockably receive the pin.

4. The crutch of claim 1 wherein the distance between the handle and the leg top end is adjustable.

5. The crutch of claim 1 wherein the frame comprises a U-shaped channel extending in a direction between a front end of the saddle and a rear end of the saddle, wherein the upper portion of the spring mechanism is disposed within the U-shaped channel.

6. The crutch of claim 5 , wherein the pivoting joint is disposed between the spring mechanism and the frame and pivots about an axis perpendicular to the direction between the front end of the saddle and the rear end of the saddle of the U shaped channel thereby allowing the leg to move back and forth with respect to the saddle along a path parallel to that of the user.

7. The crutch of claim 1 wherein the handle is fixed to a curved portion of the leg.

8. A crutch to assist a user in walking, comprising:

an elongate leg having a top end and a bottom end, a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion;

the crutch further comprising a first side direction, a second side direction opposite the first side direction, a third side direction perpendicular to the first side direction and a fourth side direction opposite the third side direction,

wherein the elongate leg extends from a saddle to a foot; and

has a cantilevered handle disposed on the middle portion;

wherein the saddle extends in an elongate shape between the first side direction and the second side direction;

wherein the handle extends in an elongate shape between the first side direction and the second side direction;

wherein the elongate leg middle portion extends to the first side direction of an axis extending between the top end of the elongate leg and the bottom end of the elongate leg,

wherein the handle is cantilevered and has a fixed end and a free end;

the saddle having a frame supporting a resilient portion, a pivoting joint attached to the frame, and a spring mechanism slidably disposed in the leg that allows the saddle to move up and down with respect to the crutch leg, the the crutch leg further comprising a vertical slot in the crutch leg, the vertical slot having a top end, a pin connected to the spring mechanism and a spring in the crutch leg that biases the pin to the top end of the vertical slot.

9. The crutch of claim 8 wherein the pivoting joint is adapted to allow the leg to rock with respect to the saddle frame and resilient portion.

10. The crutch of claim 8 , wherein the saddle includes an inner lobe configured to rest against a torso of a user during use, an outer lobe configured to rest against an arm of the user during use, and a curved upper surface connecting the inner lobe and the outer lobe and forming a U-shaped channel that opens downwards wherein, during use, the saddle remains generally stationary in the armpit of the use.

11. The crutch of claim 10 , wherein the saddle comprises a front end, a rear end, an inner lobe bottom end and an outer lobe bottom end, the saddle frame including an open perimeter loop that extends from the front end to the inner lobe bottom portion to the rear end to the outer lobe bottom portion and back to the front end, the open perimeter loop supporting the resilient portion to form the saddle upper surface.

12. The crutch of claim 11 , wherein the resilient portion is fixed over the open perimeter loop in tension.

13. The crutch of claim 12 wherein the resilient portion comprises a sheet of polymer having holes formed therein.

14. The crutch of claim 13 wherein a distance between the crutch leg top end and the cantilevered handle is adjustable.

15. The crutch of claim 13 wherein a distance between the crutch leg bottom end and the cantilevered handle is adjustable.

16. The crutch of claim 10 wherein wherein the free end of the cantilevered handle is higher than the fixed end.