Effect of a Passive Exosuit on Sit-to-Stand Performance in Geriatric Patients Measured by Body-Worn Sensors—A Pilot Study

Abstract

Standing up from a seated position is a prerequisite for any kind of physical mobility but many older persons have problems with the sit-to-stand (STS) transfer. There are several exosuits available for industrial work, which might be adapted to the needs of older persons to support STS transfers. However, objective measures to quantify and evaluate such systems are needed. The aim of this study was to quantify the possible support of an exosuit during the STS transfer of geriatric patients. Twenty-one geriatric patients with a median age of 82 years (1.–3.Q. 79–84 years) stood up at a normal pace (1) from a chair without using armrests, (2) with using armrests and (3) from a bed with pushing off, each condition with and without wearing an exosuit. Peak angular velocity of the thighs was measured by body-worn sensors. It was higher when standing up with exosuit support from a bed (92.6 (1.–3.Q. 84.3–116.2)°/s versus 79.7 (1.–3.Q. 74.6–98.2)°/s; p = 0.014) and from a chair with armrests (92.9 (1.–3.Q. 78.3–113.0)°/s versus 77.8 (1.–3.Q. 59.3–100.7)°/s; p = 0.089) compared to no support. There was no effect of the exosuit when standing up from a chair without using armrests. In general, it was possible to quantify the support of the exosuit using sensor-measured peak angular velocity. These results suggest that depending on the STS condition, an exosuit can support older persons during the STS transfer.