The effect of seat position on wheelchair propulsion biomechanics

Kotajarvi, Brian R.; Sabick, Michelle B.; An, Kai Nan; Zhao, Kristin D.; Kaufman, Kenton R.; Basford, Jeffrey R.

doi:10.1682/jrrd.2003.01.0008

Cited by 97 publications

(80 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…15 (e) Wheelchair can be modified by changing the position of axle as more forward axle position has been correlated with improvement in wheelchair biomechanics. 16 (f) Propulsion technique with least energy expenditure can be taught to the individual with paraplegia such as semicircular propulsion technique. Semicircular propulsion technique displays characteristics consistent with reduced repetitions and more efficient propulsion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain after paraplegia: a survey in India

Gupta¹,

Solomon

Raja

2009

Spinal Cord

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Study design: A postal survey. Objective: To ascertain the incidence of pain in individuals with paraplegia in India and to associate it with demographic characteristics. Setting: India. Method: The study was done by means of a questionnaire. This questionnaire was mailed to the identified individuals (n ¼ 600) on the addresses obtained from the medical records section of hospitals and from various organizations. Data analysis was done by using non-parametric tests of association. Results: The return rate was 46% (276/600). Fifty-seven percent of individuals complained of pain. Of this, pain in the back and chest ranked the highest (30.1%), followed by pain below the level of lesion (6.9%), pain in the shoulder and upper limb (4.7%) and neck (0.4%). Fifteen percent of individuals complained of pain at multiple sites. We found a significant association of pain with age, duration since injury and ambulation. Conclusion: More than half of the subjects complained of pain in the study. Pain was found to be associated with age, duration since injury and ambulation. As pain has a dramatic effect on a subjects' quality of life, there is a need to evaluate it in detail and treat accordingly with preventive, rehabilitative or surgical procedures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pain after paraplegia: a survey in India

Gupta¹,

Solomon

Raja

2009

Spinal Cord

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“…However, many experimental studies have shown low ratios of tangential force to total pushrim force, the so-called Fraction Effective Force (FEF), during wheelchair propulsion even for experienced users [6,7]. This indicates large FEF with a more tangential pushrim force direction is not necessarily associated with higher efficiency.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Modeling Framework to Investigate the Radial Component of the Pushrim Force in Manual Wheelchair Propulsion

Ackermann

Costa

Leonardi

2015

MATEC Web of Conferences

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Abstract.The ratio of tangential to total pushrim force, the so-called Fraction Effective Force (FEF), has been used to evaluate wheelchair propulsion efficiency based on the fact that only the tangential component of the force on the pushrim contributes to actual wheelchair propulsion. Experimental studies, however, consistently show low FEF values and recent experimental as well as modelling investigations have conclusively shown that a more tangential pushrim force direction can lead to a decrease and not increase in propulsion efficiency. This study aims at quantifying the contributions of active, inertial and gravitational forces to the normal pushrim component. In order to achieve this goal, an inverse dynamics-based framework is proposed to estimate individual contributions to the pushrim forces using a model of the wheelchair-user system. The results show that the radial pushrim force component arise to a great extent due to purely mechanical effects, including inertial and gravitational forces. These results corroborate previous findings according to which radial pushrim force components are not necessarily a result of inefficient propulsion strategies or hand-rim friction requirements. This study proposes a novel framework to quantify the individual contributions of active, inertial and gravitational forces to pushrim forces during wheelchair propulsion.

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“…Seat position is an easily adjustable parameter that directly influences propulsion biomechanics (e.g., Boninger et al, 2000;Richter, 2001;Kotajarvi et al, 2004;Gorce and Louis, 2012) and upper extremity demand (e.g., Boninger et al, 2005;Mulroy et al, 2005;Requejo et al, 2008a). Thus, identifying the optimal seat position that minimizes upper extremity demand holds great promise for reducing the risk of pain and injury.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, identifying the optimal seat position that minimizes upper extremity demand holds great promise for reducing the risk of pain and injury. A number of studies have examined the influence of seat position on propulsion mechanics and found relationships with specific biomechanical measures such as cadence (e.g., Masse et al, 1992;Boninger et al, 2000;Richter, 2001;Kotajarvi et al, 2004;Gorce and Louis, 2012), handrim forces (e.g., Boninger et al, 2000;van der Woude et al, 2009), joint ranges of motion (e.g., Hughes et al, 1992;Wei et al, 2003;Gorce and Louis, 2012) and electromyography (EMG) activity (e.g., Masse et al, 1992;Gutierrez et al, 2005;Louis and Gorce, 2010). High levels of these measures have been identified as risk factors for upper extremity pain and injury (e.g., Boninger et al, 2005;Gutierrez et al, 2005;Gorce and Louis, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%