Stair climbing

About: Stair climbing is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1610 publications have been published within this topic receiving 30504 citations.

Systematic review of timed stair tests.

Abstract: Functional testing is particularly useful in the clinic and for making research translatable; however, finding measures relevant across ages and different conditions can be difficult. A systematic review was conducted to investigate timed stair tests as an objective measure of functional abilities and musculoskeletal integrity. Data were analyzed for their ability to differentiate between controls and patient groups and between different patient groups. Literature was reviewed using the Medline, CINAHL, and PubMed databases until February 2012. Data were grouped according to methodology, ages, and medical conditions. Time per step was calculated to allow comparison between studies. Eighty-eight studies were included in this review. Methodologies varied considerably with stair ascent, stair descent, or a combination of the two being used across a wide range of ages and medical conditions. Times increased with age for ascent, descent, and combined and for a variety of medical problems. Timed stair tests appear to be sensitive to medical conditions but further data are required to obtain normative values for this test. We suggest that timed stair tests should follow a more standardized methodology using a combination of ascent and descent and asking participants to complete the stairs as quickly and safely as possible.

The use of functional analysis in evaluating knee kinematics : Knee kinematics and total knee replacement design

Abstract: The importance of understanding the six-degrees-of-freedom kinematics of the knee during ambulatory activities was examined in the context of the function of total knee arthroplasty. Studies of knee kinematics during walking, stair climbing, and a deep flexion squat indicate that knee kinematics is activity-dependent. A comparative study of patients and healthy subjects during stair climbing indicates the importance of maintaining the function of the posterior cruciate ligament. A second study used walking kinematics derived from patient testing as input to a wear simulator. There was increased wear relative to standard simulator input that was related to the slip velocity at the contact surface. Finally, results from a study of deep flexion indicate that substantial femoral rotation is required during deep flexion activities. The current study shows the importance of studying in vivo knee kinematics for future enhancement in the treatment of the arthritic knee.

The strain behavior of the anterior cruciate ligament during stair climbing: an in vivo study

Abstract: Stair climbing is a closed kinetic chain exercise that is thought to be useful for knee rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction while protecting the graft from excessive strain. The objectives of this study were to measure the strain produced in the anteromedial band (AMB) of the normal ACL during stair climbing in vivo. We have previously shown that the normal AMB strain pattern during knee passive flexion-extension motion is similar to that of an ACL graft immediately after graft fixation. We successfully tested five subjects with normal ACLs, who were candidates for arthroscopic meniscectomy under local anesthesia. AMB strain was measured in vivo using the Differential Variable Reluctance Transducer (MicroStrain, Burlington, VT). The stair climbing activities were performed on a StairMaster 4000PT (Randall Sports Medicine, Kirkland, WA). Two different climbing cadences were evaluated; 80 and 112 steps per minute. Consistent with our previous studies of ACL biomechanics, strain values increased as the knee was moved from a flexed to an extended position. The mean peak AMB strain values for the 80 and 112 steps per minute conditions were 2.69% (+/-2.89&) and 2.76% (+/-2.68%), respectively. These values were not significantly different. Compared with other rehabilitation activities previously tested in the same manner, the AMB strain values produced during stair climbing were highly variable across subjects. High strain values were observed in some patients but not in others.