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Rising from a Chair: Influence of Age and Chair Design

Ms. Wheeler is Staff Physical Therapist, Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, 1015 NW 22nd Ave, Portland, OR 97210.
Ms. Woodward is Staff Physical Therapist, San Jose Hospital, 675 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95112.
Mrs. Ucovich is Staff Physical Therapist, Mills Memorial Hospital, 100 S San Mateo Dr, San Mateo, CA 94401.
Dr. Perry is Director, Pathokinesiology Service, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, 7601 E Imperial Hwy, Downey, CA 90242, and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Southern California.
Dr. Walker is Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Southern California, 12933 Erickson Ave, Bldg 30, Downey, CA 90242 (USA).

We studied the effect of age on the act of rising from a standard armchair in a younger ( = 24 years) and an older ( = 75 years) group of healthy adult women. Rising from a standard armchair and an armchair specially designed for comfort in sitting of the elderly was studied in the older group to determine the influence of the special chair. We used electrogoniometry, EMG, and videotape analysis to record the activity for both groups. The older group placed their feet farther back and showed greater vastus lateralis muscle activity than did the younger group to rise from the standard chair. These results suggest that rising from the standard chair was more difficult for the older than for the younger group. In the special chair, the older subjects showed even more vastus lateralis muscle activity, greater knee flexion, and greater trunk forward lean. Rising from the special chair, therefore, appeared to be more difficult than rising from a standard chair; this finding suggests that both comfort and function must be considered in chair selection for certain groups.

Key Words: Age factors • Electromyography • Equipment • Physical therapy

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