Comparing Handrim Biomechanics for Treadmill and Overground Wheelchair Propulsion
By Kwarciak, A.M.; Turner, J.T.; Guo, L.; Richter, W.M.; Spinal Cord, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 457-462Publication Date: March 2011
Study compared handrim biomechanics recorded during overground wheelchair propulsion with those recorded during propulsion on a motor driven treadmill. Participants were 24 men and 4 women aged 15 to 57 years with mobility disabilities including paraplegia, tetraplegia, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and spinal lipoma. Participants propelled their own manual wheelchairs at a self-selected speed on a low pile carpet and on a wheelchair accessible treadmill. Handrim biomechanics were recorded with an OptiPush instrumented wheelchair wheel. Across the two conditions, all handrim biomechanics were found to be similar and highly correlated. Contact angle, peak force, average force, and peak axle moment differed by 1.6 percent or less across the two conditions. Although not significant, power output and cadence tended to be slightly higher for the treadmill condition at 3.5 and 3.6 percent, respectively, owing to limitations in adjusting the treadmill grade. Based on study results, the authors conclude that a motor driven treadmill can serve as a valid surrogate for overground studies of wheelchair propulsion. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: Nature Publishing Group (Website:http://www.nature.com)
International Spinal Cord Injury Society (Web Site: http://www.iscos.org.uk )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J60827
