Notable Crutch Tip Patents & Inventors

Innovations in crutch tips occupy their own specific patent niche, evolving from simple rubber stoppers to engineered devices designed for traction, shock absorption, and stability. Below is an accurate breakdown of the patented crutch tip technology developed by Thomas Fetterman.

Thomas Fetterman (Tornado Tips)

Thomas Fetterman, a lifelong forearm crutch user, has developed and patented crutch tip technology over more than three decades. He holds two U.S. patents in this space:

U.S. Patent 4,881,564 — "Crutch Tip" Filed October 22, 1987; granted November 21, 1989. This foundational patent introduced a shock-absorbing crutch tip built from three integrated layers: a rigid plate for force distribution, a damping pad made of polyurethane (marketed under the trademark VISCOLITE) with high energy-absorption characteristics, and a ground-engaging tread with flexible projections for traction on uneven surfaces. The design reduces the reaction and recoil forces transmitted back up the crutch shaft to the user.

U.S. Patent 5,178,176 — "Slip-Resistant Crutch Tip" Filed June 17, 1991; granted January 12, 1993. This patent refined the design by combining two materials with different friction coefficients — a high-friction ring portion and a separate outer skirt — over the same type of polyurethane (VISCOLITE) shock-absorbing cushion, improving slip resistance without sacrificing energy absorption.

Tornado GT Tips

Fetterman's current Tornado GT Tips build on this patented shock-absorption approach with an updated gel-based cushioning system — an internal Absorbalite gel core — that the company states absorbs up to 50% of ground impact force ("crutch shock"), helping protect the user's joints. The gel-core cushioning is a feature of the current product line rather than the material described in the original 1989 and 1993 patents, which used polyurethane cushioning.

Designed by a lifelong crutch user to meet your needs.

As a polio survivor and lifelong crutch user, Thomas Fetterman understands the mobility and comfort challenges of other polio survivors, amputees, and lifelong crutch users. Our crutch tips focus on providing the best shock absorption, wet slip resistance, and fatigue reduction.

We aren't the only voice saying we manufacture the best crutch tips for long-term crutch users. Read the independent testing conducted by the University of South Carolina Mechanical Engineering Department on our Tornado AIR and Tornado AIR/Rain crutch tips confirming they are the best crutch tips for long-term crutch users.