Learning to Perform Wheelchair Wheelies: Comparison of Two Training Strategies
By Bonaparte, James P., MSc; Kirby, R. Lee, MD; MacLeod, Donald A.; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol. 85, No. 5, pp. 785-793Publication Date: May 2004
Study conducted to test the hypothesis that during wheelchair wheelie training, adding the proactive balance strategy (PBS) to the conventional reactive balance strategy (RBS) increases the success rate, decreases training time, and lessens postural sway during wheelies. Twenty-two participants were randomly assigned to the RBS group or to the PBS and RBS group. Twelve of the participants used wheelchairs, while ten were able-bodied. All participants attended an initial intake session to provide demographic data and to complete elements of the Wheelchair Skills Test (WST), Version 2.4. The WST was administered to ensure that the participants could perform basic wheelchair skills and to ensure that they were previously unable to perform a wheelie. The groups were balanced according to gender, age, and diagnostic category. The researchers measured for success rate in achieving wheelie competence, training time, and postural sway on a force platform. Results indicated that the addition of the PBS to RBS training did not improve wheelie success rate, training time, or postural sway.
Published by: W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Health Sciences (Website:http://us.elsevierhealth.com)
American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Web Site: http://www.aapmr.org/ )
American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (Web Site: http://www.acrm.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J47707
