Rd. Pardo et al., WALKER USER RISK INDEX - A METHOD FOR QUANTIFYING STABILITY IN WALKERUSERS, American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 72(5), 1993, pp. 301-305
A method for quantifying the stability of a patient using a walking fr
ame is presented. Data collected from a walker-dependent patient recov
ering from surgical amputation of his right leg were used to demonstra
te the derivation and interpretation of a proposed walker user risk in
dex (WURI). WURI curves express risk to the walker user in terms of ho
w much the upper extremities contribute to overall patient support. Th
e WURI analysis of the walker stride presented here quantified the exp
ected clinical impression that this patient was least reliant on the w
alker immediately after the advance of his prosthetic leg and most rel
iant when standing on his prosthesis and swinging his nonamputated leg
. The analysis also revealed unexpectedly high upper body loads and sp
ecific phases in the gait cycle where the patient's balance was at ris
k.