title: Instrumented gait analysis: a measure of gait improvement by a wheeled walker in hospitalized geriatric patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In an increasing aging society, reduced mobility is one of the most important factors limiting activities of daily living and overall quality of life. The ability to walk independently contributes to the mobility, but is increasingly restricted by numerous diseases that impair gait and balance. The aim of this cross-sectional observation study was to examine whether spatio-temporal gait parameters derived from mobile instrumented gait analysis can be used to measure the gait stabilizing effects of a wheeled walker (WW) and whether these gait parameters may serve as surrogate marker in hospitalized patients with multifactorial gait and balance impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred six patients (ages 68-95) wearing inertial sensor equipped shoes passed an instrumented walkway with and without gait support from a WW. The walkway assessed the risk of falling associated gait parameters velocity, swing time, stride length, stride time- and double support time variability. Inertial sensor-equipped shoes measured heel strike and toe off angles, and foot clearance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The use of a WW improved the risk of spatio-temporal parameters velocity, swing time, stride length and the sagittal plane associated parameters heel strike and toe off angles in all patients. First-time users (FTUs) showed similar gait parameter improvement patterns as frequent WW users (FUs). However, FUs with higher levels of gait impairment improved more in velocity, stride length and toe off angle compared to the FTUs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impact of a WW can be quantified objectively by instrumented gait assessment. Thus, objective gait parameters may serve as surrogate markers for the use of walking aids in patients with gait and balance impairments.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Centre Erlangen, Waldkrankenhaus St. Marien, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schülein
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.|Digital Sports Group, Pattern Recognition Lab, Department of Computer Science, FAU, Erlangen, Germany.|ASTRUM IT GmbH, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barth
authors.affiliation: Digital Sports Group, Pattern Recognition Lab, Department of Computer Science, FAU, Erlangen, Germany.|ASTRUM IT GmbH, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rampp
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychogerontology, FAU, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.affiliation: Digital Sports Group, Pattern Recognition Lab, Department of Computer Science, FAU, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Björn M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Eskofier
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Centre Erlangen, Waldkrankenhaus St. Marien, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl-Günter
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Gaßmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. jochen.klucken@uk-erlangen.de.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5306-920X
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klucken
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D012775:Shoes; D014853:Walkers; D016138:Walking
keywords: 4-wheeled walker; Gait analysis; Geriatric patients; Risk-of-falling