Background

The handrail is an effective means of assisting sit-to-stand movements. As some elderly people need force to support their body during sit-to-stand movements because of instability and weakness; however, few handrails are specifically shaped to generate more force and support the body. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a newly designed curved-angled handrail on the reaction force during sit-to-stand movements in the elderly.

Methods

Twenty-one elderly subjects (age range, 72–84 years) participated in the study. They performed sit-to-stand movements using a conventional vertical handrail and then the curved-angled handrail five times each. For each subject, body coordinate data were acquired and the handrail reaction force was measured using motion analysis and load sensors on the handrail.

Findings

The reaction forces generated in the anterior–posterior and upward–downward directions during sit-to-stand movements using the curved-angled handrail were significantly greater than those generated using the conventional vertical handrail (p < .001).

Interpretation

Compared with using the conventional vertical handrail, using the curved-angled handrail enhances the generated force during sit-to-stand movements.

中文翻译：

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老年人从坐到站运动期间两种不同扶手之间的扶手反作用力的比较。

背景

扶手是协助坐立运动的有效手段。由于不稳定和虚弱，一些老年人在坐着站立运动时需要用力支撑自己的身体；但是，很少有专门设计的扶手能够产生更大的力量并支撑身体。这项研究旨在调查新设计的弯角扶手对老年人从坐到站运动期间反作用力的影响。

方法

21名老年受试者（年龄在72-84岁之间）参加了这项研究。他们使用传统的垂直扶手进行坐姿到站姿的运动，然后分别使用弯角扶手五次。对于每个受试者，获取身体坐标数据，并使用运动分析和扶手上的负载传感器测量扶手反作用力。

发现

在使用弯角扶手的情况下，从坐到站的运动在前后，前后方向产生的反作用力明显大于传统垂直扶手产生的反作用力（p  <.001）。

解释

与使用传统的垂直扶手相比，使用弯曲角度的扶手可增强从坐到站运动期间产生的力。