Assitive Effect of Gait-aids for the Standing Balance

Jang, Ki Eon; Park, Tae Hwan; Yoon, Jong Lull

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The gaitaids are helpful for the patients of gait disturbance, but there was no study about the quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of gaitaids of several different types. But proper use of gaitaids is important for the disabled who is suffered from falls with or without trauma. The appropriate prescription of gaitaids is coming from the objective assessment for gaitaids.
METHODS
We evaluated the 'balance index(BI)', which is originally suggested assessment scale by author, for the five different gaitaids :mono-cane, quad-cane, forearm crutch, axillary crutch, walker We assessed the difference of B.1 with or without using each gaitaids examined by 50 healthy adults and 20 stroke patients.
RESULTS
The BI in the normal adult was 34.5+/-2.7, and 21.0+/-6.9 in the stroke patients. The balance index o( walker user was 37.6+/-1.4, which was the highest score. The BI of quad-cane was 30.1 +/-4.8, which was the next highest score and the BI of mono-cane, forearm crutch, axillary crutch were 25.5+/-5.6, 25.5+/-5.7, 25.5+/-5.4, which were lower than that of quad-cane.
CONCLUSION
It can be suggested that the walker is the most effective for the support balance on gait and the quad-cane is more effective than mono-cane or crutches for balance support.