Biomechanical Demands and User Preference Associated with Wall-Mounted and Rim-Mounted Grab Bars.
Rebecca Greene, Iris C Levine, Manon Guay and 1 others
PMID 37498939WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with bathing difficulty bent forward significantly more and pushed harder on rim-mounted grab bars than on wall-mounted vertical bars.
The vertical bar was rated safer and easier. If a client must use a rim bar, ensure it is set to the highest position to reduce forward bending.
Key findings
01Using a low rim-mounted grab bar required 25% to 28% more forward trunk flexion than a high rim-mounted bar, and 51% to 73% more than a vertical wall-mounted bar.
02Participants applied more than 50% greater force on rim-mounted grab bars compared to the vertical wall-mounted bar during entry, and more than 30% greater force during exit.
03All participants rated the vertical grab bar as very safe, whereas only 70% and 40% rated the high and low rim-mounted bars as very safe or safe, respectively.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size of ten participants, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Four participants refused the wall-only condition, and data from one other was lost, so no statistical comparisons were made for this condition. The rim-mounted grab bar used in the study was modified to be securely bolted in place for safety and data accuracy. It is unknown if standard temporary clamp-on bars can withstand the high forces observed without slipping or dislodging. Only one model of rim-mounted grab bar was tested; other designs with different handle orientations or materials may behave differently. The study did not test the failure load of the grab bars, so it does not confirm whether the devices are structurally safe under these forces.
Declared interests
The authors received financial support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The third author received salary support from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec—Santé. No commercial funding from grab bar manufacturers was reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a rim-mounted grab bar provides equivalent support to a wall-mounted one. The study showed that rim-mounted bars require significantly more forward bending and force, which may increase fall risk, and the tested device was modified to be securely bolted, unlike standard temporary clamp-on versions.