Ground surface impacts wheelchair propulsion

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Ground surface impacts wheelchair propulsion

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=33820

Data from a manual wheelchair propulsion study indicate that

different ground surfaces impact wheelchair propulsion ability,

revealing conditions contributing to arm overuse in people who use

wheelchairs.

Eleven manual wheelchair users were fitted with a SMARTWheel and

pushed on a course consisting of high- and low- pile carpet, indoor

tile, interlocking concrete pavers, smooth level concrete, grass,

hardwood flooring, and a sidewalk with a five-degree grade.

Propulsive forces on grass, interlocking pavers, and ramp ascent were

typically higher compared with tile, wood, smooth level concrete, and

low- and high-pile carpeting.

Users adapted to more challenging surfaces by applying more force and

increasing the number of times they struck the pushrim.

Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development - pg 447