Manual Wheelchair Tippiness in People With Recent Spinal Cord Injury
By Ferguson-Pell, Martin, PhD; Hills, Lynne, MBOT; Rose, Lone, MCSP; Middleton, Fred, MD; Bloomer, Zillah, MSc, MCSP; Nicholson, Graham, PhD; RESNA 29th International Annual Conference 2006,Publication Date: 2006
Study conducted to evaluate the static stability, or “tippiness” of manual wheelchairs. A total of 19 people with spinal cord injuries who used manual wheelchairs participated in the study. A Quickie GPV that was optimized for posture and stability by seating specialists was used in the study, as was a wheelchair provided by National Health Services (NHS). Static stability was determined via tilt platform and force transducers, which were placed underneath the wheels. Data was collected to determine the critical angle of backwards tilt and the corresponding position of the participants’ center of mass. The NHS-prescribed chairs yielded an average weight distribution of 29 percent on the front castors and 71 percent on the rear wheels, while the Quickie GPV yielded 21 percent on the front castors and 79 percent on the rear wheels. This data indicates that the optimized Quickie GPV was more stable in a backwards tilt than the NHS chair. Implications for creating equations to estimate tip angles are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: QUICKIE GP AND QUICKIE GPV
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
