Strategies adopted by younger and older adults while operating a non-pedal tricycle.
Tatiane Calve, Douglas Vicente Russo Júnior, Ana Maria Forti Barela
PMID 29162381WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy older adults could propel a non-pedal tricycle on a straight path at a comfortable speed.
They used more steps per minute and longer ground contact than younger adults, with more hip and less knee movement.
Key findings
01All participants were able to advance with the non-pedal tricycle on a straight path at a self-selected comfortable speed.
02Older adults used a higher step rate and longer ground contact than younger adults, with mean differences of 17 steps/min and 3.4%, while mean speed and stride length did not differ.
03Older adults showed higher hip range of motion and lower knee range of motion and maximum knee flexion than younger adults, with mean differences of 12°, 6°, and 9°.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used a small convenience sample of nine younger and nine older adults, so it may not represent wider populations. It included only healthy adults and excluded people with musculoskeletal injuries, neurological disorders, high body mass index, or relevant surgery. It tested only a comfortable self-selected speed, so it does not show what happens at other speeds. It described how people used the device once, rather than testing an exercise programme or clinical outcomes such as walking, balance, or falls. The tricycle was a modified research device, and upper body and propulsion forces were not measured.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this tricycle improves walking, balance, or falls in older adults. The study described how healthy adults used a new device at one comfortable speed, and it did not test an exercise programme or patient outcomes.