•  
  •  
 

ENERGY COST OF BIPEDAL WALKING VERSUS USE OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES AT CONTROLLED WALKING SPEEDS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the case of lower limb injury, assistive devices may be needed for ambulation. Evidence suggests that crutches as well as manual wheelchair use increases energy expenditure compared to overground walking. However, direct comparison of assistive devices to each other and to walking at standardized speeds has not been done, making clinical recommendations regarding which assistive devices to use for injured populations difficult. The purpose of this study was to compare oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during bipedal walking (BW), walking with axillary crutches (AC), and ambulation with a knee scooter (KS) at three standardized paces: 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 miles per hour. METHODS: A total of n=13 college age males and females (20.3 years, 170.4 cm, 70.3 kg) were recruited to participate in a single laboratory visit. In a randomized and counterbalanced order, each participant completed a 3-minute walking trial at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mph during which they walked normally, walked with crutches, or used a knee scooter. During each trial, VO2, RER, and HR were measured each minute. Values recorded during the final minute of each session were compared for the three trials at each speed using ANOVA tests with Tukey post hoc comparisons with alpha=0.05. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in VO2, RER, and HR for all speeds among the three groups (p<0.05). Pairwise comparisons revealed that at all three speeds, walking with crutches resulted in significantly higher VO2, RER, and HR compared to BW and KS conditions (p<0.05). During walking at 1.5 and 2.0 mph, HR was significantly higher in KS compared to BW, and at 2.0 mph only, RER was greater during KS use compared to BW (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these data indicate that use of axillary crutches elicits a greater physiological response than either bipedal walking or knee scooter use when speed is controlled.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS