Citation

Mundt M, Batista JP, Markert B, Bollheimer C, Laurentius T. Eur. Rev. Aging Phys. Activ. 2019; 16: e15.

Affiliation

2Department of Geriatrics, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1186/s11556-019-0222-5

PMID

31528238

PMCID

PMC6734589

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aging population increasingly needs assistive technologies, such as rollators, to function and live less dependently. Rollators are designed to decrease the risk of falls by improving the gait mechanics of their users. However, data on the biomechanics of rollator assisted gait of older adults are limited, or mostly derived from experiments with younger adults.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This review summarises the data from 18 independent studies on the kinematic and kinetic gait parameters of assisted gait of older persons. All of these studies evaluated spatio-temporal parameters, but not joint angles or moments.

CONCLUSION: Due to the limited research on rollator supported gait in older adults, the number of parameters that could be analysed in this systematic review was restricted. Further research in the analysis of spatio-temporal parameters and a higher standardisation in clinical research will be necessary.

Language: en

Keywords

Assisted gait; Biomechanics; Four-wheeled-Walker; Geriatrics; Rollator; Systematic review; Walker; Wheeled Walker