Comparative effects of different walking aids on selected cardiovascular parameters, energy cost and walking speed among elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objective: This study aims at comparing the effects of cane, Rollator, and Zimmer's frame ambulations on selected cardiovascular parameters, energy cost and walking speed in elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Method: Twenty-five (25) elderly patients participated in this randomized cross-over designed study. Participants' systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and pulse rate were measured before ambulation. Each participant performed a 6-minute walk test (6-MWT) using each of the three walking aids (WA) on three separate days. Immediate post-ambulation SBP, DBP, pulse rate, energy cost and walking speed were determined. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare the WA on all the selected variables at p<0.05 level of significance.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 65.1±3.9 years. SBP, DBP, pulse rate and walking speed were significantly different (p<0.05) for the three WA after 6-MWT. Participants' SBP (149.9±1.5 mmHg), DBP (87.4±1.1 mmHg) and pulse rate (89.1±1.1 bpm) after Zimmer's frame ambulation were signicantly higher than for the cane (145.3±7.9 mmHg; 83.7±5.5 mmHg; 83.20 ±5.8 b.p.m) and Rollator (147.48±7.1 mmHg; 85.9±0.9 mmHg; 86.2±1.4 bpm) ambulations respectively. Walking speed with cane ambulation (0.55±0.11m.sec-1) was significantly higher than for Zimmer's frame (0.40±0.1 m.sec-1) and Rollator (0.47± 0.10 m.sec-1)
ambulations. There was no significant difference in the energy cost of the participants during ambulation with the three WA.
Conclusion: Zimmer frame ambulation elicited comparatively high blood pressure and pulse rate while cane ambulation was accompanied by relatively high walking speed. The choice of WA by elderly patients with knee OA should therefore be based on the observed variations.

Keywords: Walking Aids; Elderly Patients; Cardiovascular parameters; Energy cost; Walking speed; Knee osteoarthritis