The adult ORLAU Swivel Walker—Ambulation for paraplegic and tetraplegic patients

Abstract

Abstract. The ORLAU Swivel Walker which has been used by children with spina bifida, has been modified so that it is now being successfully used by spinal cord paralysed patients.

Tetraplegic ambulation with the ORLAU swivel walker

“…However, experience has shown that many would derive great physiological, psychological, social and functional benefit from such a device. A swivel walker is probably the device in which a tetraplegic can most easily ambulate (Farmer et al, 1982).…”

“…The experience gained with the first 5 of these adults was sufficiently encouraging for a production version of the adult model to be initiated. A review of these 5 patients, all of whom had 6 months' minimum experience in the device, was carried out to establish what benefits they had derived from the use of the adult ORLAU Swivel Walker (Farmer et al, 1982).…”

“…Swivel walkers have been established as a valuable ambulatory device for paediatric paraplegic patients both from a functional and therapeutic point of view for well over 20 years (Edbrooke, 1970;Rose and Henshaw, 1972;Stallard et al, 1978;Sankarankutty et al, 1979;Farmer et al, 1982).…”

Walking for the severely disabled

“…Clinical experience identified the need for detailed improvements, so that important refinements in design were made by ORLAU, 11 and user groups became more clearly defined. 7,12 These changes allowed patients to become even more adept at ambulation, 13 with many able to transfer into the device without external assistance.…”

The ORLAU VCG (variable centre of gravity) swivel walker for muscular dystrophy patients

“…Swivel walkers have long been established as a means of ambulation for particular groups of paralysed patients (Motloch and Elliot, 1966;Edbrooke, 1970;Rose and Henshaw, 1972;Stallard et al, 1978;Butler et al, 1982;Farmer et al, 1982). Their advantage is that they permit heavily handicapped individuals to walk with a high degree of stability, without the use of additional walking aids such as crutches.…”