title: Urinating in the standing position: a feasible alternative for elderly women with knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urinating while standing is a possible alternative for elderly women with knee osteoarthritis when a sitting toilet is unavailable. We evaluated uroflowmetric characteristics and post-void residual urine volume in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis who urinated while standing.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 21 women with a mean±SD age of 65.0±4.6 years who had a knee osteoarthritis Lequesne index score of at least 6 points and were unable to maintain or found it difficult to stand up from a squat or crouch. Participants used a homemade auxiliary appliance to collect urine and drain it forward while stand voiding. Uroflowmetric data, including voided volume, and maximal and average flow rates, were recorded. Post-void residual urine volume was detected using an ultrasound bladder scanner. Participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate their attitude toward stand voiding and using the auxiliary device.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximal and average flow rates, and voided and post-void residual urine volumes were not statistically different while sitting and standing. No learning curve was noted for stand voiding. Uroflowmetry patterns while standing were smooth. Of the 21 participants 17 (81%) experienced no difficulty while stand voiding. All expressed willingness to urinate while standing position if they did not have access to a satisfactorily clean toilet seat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Urinating while standing is a feasible option for elderly women with knee osteoarthritis who have difficulty crouching or squatting to void in public restrooms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, China Medical University Hospital and School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Eric Chieh-Lung
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Pei-Yu
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: Chao-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Nai-Hsin
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee; D011187:Posture; D014554:Urination