01.12.2019 | Review article | Ausgabe 1/2019 Open Access
Walking with rollator: a systematic review of gait parameters in older persons
- Zeitschrift:
- European Review of Aging and Physical Activity > Ausgabe 1/2019
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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.
