Effects of bilateral swing-away grab bars on the biomechanics of stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand toilet transfers

Abstract

The obtained results suggest that the studied ranges of grab bar configurations reduce moment demands on the leg joints and thus decrease difficulty and required lower limb muscle effort to perform the transfers. Implications for Rehabilitation Maximizing the benefits of assistive technology in the built environment requires a careful assessment of their spatial and configurational dimensions, especially in respect to the needs and abilities of the intended users. Examining the kinetic characteristics of transfers to and from a toilet using the swing-away grab bars is useful for informing grab bar design and configuration recommendations for assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. Our findings suggest that the swing-away grab bars located at certain ranges are a reasonable alternative to the grab bars mandated by the current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Guidelines. Future research investigating the effects of grab bars on transfer performance should consider additional factors, such as a wider range of abilities and transfer methods of the users.

Designing a Patient Room as a Fall Protection Strategy: The Perspectives of Healthcare Design Experts

“…It was also noted that vertical grab bars would be susceptible to damage by being knocked. The AC observations surrounding grab bars is also supported by prior studies [28][29][30].…”

Influence of handrail height and knee joint support on sit-to-stand movement

“…Dekker et al [ 6 ] studied different support forms within the toilet environment and noted a preference for vertical handrails and bilateral grab bars during STS movement. There have been many other studies on the forms and positions of handrails used in the toilet environment, [ 6 , 19 , 20 ] but we have not found any studies on the use of handrails higher than the seated acromion height in the literature on STS movement, and handrails lower than the seated acromion height may not make the user better use their strength of upper limbs in rehabilitation training. Moreover, the influence of handrail height on kinematics and plantar pressure during STS movement is still not well understood, and how to set the height of the handrail reasonably is still unclear.…”

Effect of different handrail types and seat heights on kinematics and plantar pressure during STS in healthy young adults

“…The reason for this finding may be that BHs provided much more grasp reaction force in upward direction at T2, and it might reduce the lower limb load. [ 16 , 18 ]…”

“…They suggested that the 2 VHs should be considered in the design of accessible bathroom, because the center of pressure deviation when using this handrail form was the smallest. Lee et al [ 16 ] investigated the effects of bilateral grab bars on the biomechanics of STS toilet transfers, and they found that the use of such bars can help reduce the peak magnitude of moments at leg joints. However, bilateral grab bar widths and heights had few effects on the moments at leg joints.…”