Weight-Bearing Restrictions

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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 doctor's orders so you can heal the right way and avoid problems. The kinds of weight-bearing restrictions are:

No weight bearing or non-weight bearing (NWB) − You may NOT put any weight at all on your leg. You will need to use a walker, crutches, or wheelchair to get around. For some ankle injuries or surgeries, you may be able to use a knee scooter. With a scooter, your injured leg is bent with all the weight is on the knee and none on the ankle.
Toe-touch weight bearing (TTWB) or touch-down weight bearing (TDWB) − 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) − You may only put about half of your weight on your leg. You will need a walker or crutches to get around. If you have problems with balance, you may still need to use a wheelchair.
Weight bearing as tolerated (WBAT) − You may put as much of your weight on your leg as is comfortable. This means you may use a walker, crutches, cane, or no device at all to get around.
Full weight bearing (FWB) − You may put all of your weight on your leg. You may not need anything 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 around. 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 around.
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 down your healing and cause problems.

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Retrieved from UpToDate® Digital Architect on: April 21, 2026

Last Reviewed Date: July 20, 2020