Hayden Panettiere Lands at LAX on Crutches, Leaning on Ex Brian Hickerson

Hayden Panettiere looked like she was powering through some pain ... touching down at LAX alongside on-again, off-again BF Brian Hickerson ... while getting around on crutches!

Check out the video ... Hayden explained it's all thanks to pinched nerves in her lower back ... insisting she’s on the mend as she landed on the West Coast Monday with Brian.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... despite the exes being out together, the two are just friends.

Hayden kept it ultra-comfy in a tie-dye jogger set and a cap as the pair made their way to a waiting car, Brian sticking close by her side.

Of course, their togetherness raised eyebrows ... the two have been on and off since 2018. As you’ll recall, Brian was arrested multiple times over alleged domestic violence incidents involving Hayden ... and he was on probation through 2025.