Characteristics of upper limb joint mechanics with increased cane dependence during walking.
Kodai Kawase, Takahiko Sato, Shoma Kudo and 1 others
PMID 39354924WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy young men walking with a cane bearing 20% of body weight showed significantly higher positive joint work at the shoulder and elbow compared to no cane.
Wrist work did not increase further from 10% to 20% load. This mechanical stress pattern was not observed in clinical populations.
Key findings
01Positive joint work at the shoulder and elbow increased significantly with 20% body weight cane load compared to 10% load and no cane.
02Wrist positive joint work did not differ significantly between 10% and 20% body weight cane loads.
03Gait parameters such as cadence and step length did not change significantly across the three walking conditions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The participants were healthy young men with no mobility impairments, so the findings may not apply to older adults or patients with conditions like osteoarthritis or stroke. The study measured mechanical work, not pain, injury rates, or functional outcomes, so it does not prove that cane use causes harm. The sample size was small (15 participants), and the study was cross-sectional rather than longitudinal.
Declared interests
The work was supported by JST SPRING. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that increased joint work in healthy young men translates to pain or injury in patients with mobility impairments. The study measured mechanical energy, not clinical outcomes like pain or nerve damage.