Advisor Information
Brian Knarr
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
1-3-2019 12:30 PM
End Date
1-3-2019 1:45 PM
Abstract
Introduction: For the patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, stairs are commonly a difficult task and may be the first thing affect by osteoarthritis.1 This population often employs altered strategies when they approach, ascend, and descend the stairs compared to a healthy population. Within 12 years, 80% of patients develop knee osteoarthritis in the contralateral limb.2 Handrails play an important role by assisting with balance, control, and confidence, but their use needs to be assessed even further to fully understand how handrails impact the contralateral limb in osteoarthritic patients and how they may be integrated optimally into gait rehabilitation.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the underlying changes in biomechanics when osteoarthritis patients use handrails. As a first step, young healthy adults were used in this pilot study and given cues to mimic a patient with knee osteoarthritis
Future Goals/Impacts: We hypothesize that moments in the uninvolved knee will be maintained showing that the handrails are only reducing the forces at the involved knee. Understanding biomechanical implications of handrail use may allow for better clinical decision making and optimization of proper handrail technique for patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Effect of Handrail Use During Stair Climbing in OA Patients: A Pilot Study
Introduction: For the patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, stairs are commonly a difficult task and may be the first thing affect by osteoarthritis.1 This population often employs altered strategies when they approach, ascend, and descend the stairs compared to a healthy population. Within 12 years, 80% of patients develop knee osteoarthritis in the contralateral limb.2 Handrails play an important role by assisting with balance, control, and confidence, but their use needs to be assessed even further to fully understand how handrails impact the contralateral limb in osteoarthritic patients and how they may be integrated optimally into gait rehabilitation.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the underlying changes in biomechanics when osteoarthritis patients use handrails. As a first step, young healthy adults were used in this pilot study and given cues to mimic a patient with knee osteoarthritis
Future Goals/Impacts: We hypothesize that moments in the uninvolved knee will be maintained showing that the handrails are only reducing the forces at the involved knee. Understanding biomechanical implications of handrail use may allow for better clinical decision making and optimization of proper handrail technique for patients with knee osteoarthritis.