A wheelchair cushion designed to redistribute sites of sitting pressure

Comparing Wheelchair Cushions for Effectiveness of Pressure Relief: A Pilot Study

“…While a study using one pressure-measuring system (an Entran transducer) found average pressures ROHO High ROHO Low Flexseat Jay 2 Stimulite Pindot to be significantly lower with the ROHO cushion than with a foam cushion (Fisher & Patterson, 1983), another study (Rosenthal et al, 1996) that used an air pressure pad and a contact circuit to evaluate four cushions (including Jay and ROHO) found the ROHO cushion to produce significantly higher pressures than the Jay. Even studies using the same pressure system (the Pressure Evaluation Pad) to compare pressure-relieving capabilities of wheelchair cushions showed wide variations in the performance of the tested cushions (Garber, 1985b;Garber et al, 1978).…”

“…Since the 1970s, several pressure-mapping systems have been employed in clinical research studies to compare commonly prescribed pressure relieving wheelchair cushions (Rosenthal et al, 1996;Fisher & Patterson, 1983;Garber, 1985b;Garber et al, 1978). These evaluation systems, however, were impractical to mass-produce, cumbersome to operate, and not readily available for use in the clinic.…”

Pressure ulcer in a man with tetraplegia and a poorly fitting wheelchair: a case report with clinical and policy implications

“…4 Furthermore, the incidence of pressure ulcers in wheelchair users continues to be high despite advances in cushion technology. 5 Clinicians who work with wheelchair users must be aware of the multiple factors that contribute to pressure ulcer formation, and more speci®cally, the deleterious biomechanical forces that may be imposed by a poorly ®tted wheelchair. Evaluations and ®ttings should be conducted by competent clinicians and DME technicians with su cient training and understanding of the relationship between sitting posture and forces acting on the body over time.…”

Assistive Cushions for Symmetric Wheelchair Sitting by Stroke Patients

“…These methods have been previously employed in the assessment of postural control, but in addition, force platforms have also been utilized to evaluate postural symmetry 10) . For this reason, a great deal of effort has been dedicated to the maintenance of normal sitting posture in stroke patients, which has led to the appearance of a broad variety of wheelchair cushion models on the market 11) . Wheelchair cushions can be classified according to their composition into spongy, gel, air, etc.…”