Effects of Rollator Handle Type on Plantar Foot Pressure During Gait by Elderly Women

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of handle type, which is a fundamental element determining rollator type and the part that directly connects the user to a rollator, on the plantar foot pressure of elderly people during gait, and to examine how the gait of elderly people is affected by variation of the rollator handle. [Subjects] The subjects of this study were 12 elderly women over the age of 65 and 10 young adults who were given sufficient explanation about the objectives and method of this study and volunteered to participate in the study. [Methods] The elderly women learned how to use different types of rollators and performed gait without a rollator and with two types of rollators in a random order on a course that was 10 m long. The young adults, who served as the reference for the plantar foot pressure during gait, performed gait in the same manner without a rollator. [Results] The plantar foot pressure of the elderly people was compared with that of the young adults. The results show that there was a significant difference at the rearfoot, lateral midfoot, lateral forefoot, and hallux regions. The plantar foot pressure at the rearfoot and hallux regions was highest in the young adults, while it was lowest when the elderly used a rollator with a transverse handle. The plantar foot pressure at the lateral midfoot and lateral forefoot regions was highest when the elderly group did not use a rollator. [Conclusion] The results suggest that selective use of the handle type according to the purpose is important even though the use of a rollator assists the gait of the elderly regardless of the handle type. Moreover, the high dependency on the transverse handle rollator means that there can be a greater risk of falling down when grip on the handle is lost, and the vertical handle is more appropriate for gait training since it reduces dependency on the rollator during gait.