Evaluation der posturalen Kontrolle, Sturzangst und Mobilität bei Rollatornutzern

Falls among old people represent a huge challenge for our healthcare system not only in terms of proper medical treatment but also financially. Paradoxically, the use of walking aids such as rollators is also associated with a higher risk of falling in the old population. Rollator-induced change of posture (excessive convex curvature of the thoracic spine) and a resulting forward shift of the body’s center of gravity might be one key piece to understand the association between rollator use and fall risk. In this context, we evaluated static postural control, mobility and fear of falling in rollator users. The underlying hypothesis of this study was the investigation of potential negative side effects of rollator use on static postural control. For this purpose, 25 rollator users and 27 non-rollator users ≥ 65 years old were recruited. After a comprehensive geriatric assessment and the determination of fear of falling, participants were able to perform two postural tasks on a force plate in a standardized setting of a movement laboratory: 1) standing with feet together and 2) standing with feet slightly staggered (3 trials at 30 seconds each without the use of a rollator). Results indicate that rollator users showed less mobility, increased fear of falling and more fall events during the last six months than non-rollator users. They also demonstrated significantly poorer static postural control. In addition to our initial hypothesis, greater sway displacements were not only observed in the antero-posterior direction but also in the medio-lateral direction (p 6 months) showed no deterioration of antero-posterior stability with longer rollator use. Rollator-induced change of posture might therefore be partly reversible while standing upright without the walking aid. In conclusion, the rollator might affect static postural control along with balance, but to fully understand the underlying interactions additional clinical research is necessary