Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Assist Technol. 2021 Nov 2;33(6):318-325. doi: 10.1080/10400435.2019.1637380. Epub 2019 Jul 24.
According to clinical guidelines, rolling walker users should walk with their feet between the posterior wheels of the walker; however approximately 50% of users do not.
To describe the development and effects of a custom device designed to attach to a walker and provide visual feedback to encourage improved user position.
Fourteen older adults participated in this study to validate the effects of this device when a 10% decrease in the users' habitual distance away from the walker was encouraged via feedback. Users' relative distances were recorded using a non-contact distance sensor within the device, while kinematics were measured using commercial wearable wireless inertial sensors.
Individuals were able to ambulate on average 20% closer or more to their walker when prescribed the visual feedback. This was primarily achieved through a reduction in shoulder flexion. Trunk and cervical postures were less generalizable as only small and variable changes were observed.
These findings suggest that the device has promise, as individuals attended to the device and walked in a position closer to that recommended by clinical guidelines. The device did not appear to improve posture. Future work is needed to determine long-term effects.
根据临床指南，使用滚动助行器的患者应将脚放在助行器的后轮之间；但约有 50%的患者并未这样做。
描述一种定制设备的开发和效果，该设备旨在附在助行器上，并提供视觉反馈，以鼓励改善用户的位置。
14 名老年人参与了这项研究，以验证当通过反馈鼓励用户将其与助行器的距离缩短 10%时，该设备的效果。使用设备内的非接触式距离传感器记录用户的相对距离，同时使用商用可穿戴无线惯性传感器测量运动学。
当规定使用视觉反馈时，个体可以平均更靠近或超过助行器行走 20%的距离。这主要是通过减少肩部弯曲来实现的。躯干和颈部姿势的可推广性较差，因为只观察到较小且变化的变化。
这些发现表明该设备具有潜力，因为个体关注设备并以更接近临床指南推荐的位置行走。该设备似乎没有改善姿势。需要进一步研究以确定长期效果。
