TY - JOUR
T1 - Relation between aerobic capacity and walking ability in older adults with a lower-limb amputation.
AU - Wezenberg, D.
AU - van der Woude, L.H.V.
AU - Faber, W.X
AU - de Haan, A.
AU - Houdijk, J.H.P.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Objectives: To determine the relative aerobic load, walking speed, and walking economy of older adults with a lower-limb prosthesis, and to predict the effect of an increased aerobic capacity on their walking ability. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Human motion laboratory at a rehabilitation center. Participants: Convenience sample of older adults (n=36) who underwent lower-limb amputation because of vascular deficiency or trauma and able-bodied controls (n=21). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Peak aerobic capacity and oxygen consumption while walking were determined. The relative aerobic load and walking economy were assessed as a function of walking speed, and a data-based model was constructed to predict the effect of an increased aerobic capacity on walking ability. Results: People with a vascular amputation walked at a substantially higher (45.2%) relative aerobic load than people with an amputation because of trauma. The preferred walking speed in both groups of amputees was slower than that of able-bodied controls and below their most economical walking speed. We predicted that a 10% increase in peak aerobic capacity could potentially result in a reduction in the relative aerobic load of 9.1%, an increase in walking speed of 17.3% and 13.9%, and an improvement in the walking economy of 6.8% and 2.9%, for people after a vascular or traumatic amputation, respectively. Conclusions: Current findings corroborate the notion that, especially in people with a vascular amputation, the peak aerobic capacity is an important determinant for walking ability. The data provide quantitative predictions on the effect of aerobic training; however, future research is needed to experimentally confirm these predictions. © 2013 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
AB - Objectives: To determine the relative aerobic load, walking speed, and walking economy of older adults with a lower-limb prosthesis, and to predict the effect of an increased aerobic capacity on their walking ability. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Human motion laboratory at a rehabilitation center. Participants: Convenience sample of older adults (n=36) who underwent lower-limb amputation because of vascular deficiency or trauma and able-bodied controls (n=21). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Peak aerobic capacity and oxygen consumption while walking were determined. The relative aerobic load and walking economy were assessed as a function of walking speed, and a data-based model was constructed to predict the effect of an increased aerobic capacity on walking ability. Results: People with a vascular amputation walked at a substantially higher (45.2%) relative aerobic load than people with an amputation because of trauma. The preferred walking speed in both groups of amputees was slower than that of able-bodied controls and below their most economical walking speed. We predicted that a 10% increase in peak aerobic capacity could potentially result in a reduction in the relative aerobic load of 9.1%, an increase in walking speed of 17.3% and 13.9%, and an improvement in the walking economy of 6.8% and 2.9%, for people after a vascular or traumatic amputation, respectively. Conclusions: Current findings corroborate the notion that, especially in people with a vascular amputation, the peak aerobic capacity is an important determinant for walking ability. The data provide quantitative predictions on the effect of aerobic training; however, future research is needed to experimentally confirm these predictions. © 2013 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
U2 - 10.1016/j.apmr.2013.02.016
DO - 10.1016/j.apmr.2013.02.016
M3 - Article
SN - 0003-9993
VL - 94
SP - 1714
EP - 1720
JO - Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
JF - Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
IS - 9
ER -