Manual wheelchair users commonly experience pain in their hands and wrists associated with the repetitive stress of propulsion. The objective of this research was to examine the effect of an ergonomic wheelchair handrim as an intervention designed to reduce pain in the hands and wrists and improve functional outcomes for manual wheelchair users. Three studies were conducted to achieve this obje...

The repetitious nature of propelling a wheelchair has been associated with the high incidence of injury among manual wheelchair users (MWUs), mainly in the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Recent literature has found a link between handrim biomechanics and risk of injury to the upper extremity. The valid measurement of three-dimensional net joint forces and torques, however, can lead to a better unde...

This paper describes the design and validation of the OptiPush Biofeedback System, a commercially available, instrumented wheel system that records handrim biomechanics and provides stroke-by-stroke biofeedback and targeting for 11 propulsion variables. Testing of the system revealed accurate measurement of wheel angle (0.02% error), wheel speed (0.06% error), and handrim loads. The maximum err...

Manual wheelchair propulsion has been linked to a high incidence of overuse injury and pain in the upper extremity, which may be caused by the high load requirements and low mechanical efficiency of the task. Previous studies have suggested that poor mechanical efficiency may be due to a low effective handrim force (i.e. applied force that is not directed tangential to the handrim). As a result...

Demand for wheelchairs is increasing with growing numbers of aged and disabled persons. Manual wheelchairs are the most commonly used assistive device for mobility because they are convenient to transport. Manual wheelchairs have several advantages but are not easy to use for the elderly or those who lack muscular strength. Therefore, handrim-activated power-assist wheelchairs (HAPAW) that can ...

Several methods are available for computing the location of the point of force application (PFA) in manual wheelchair propulsion using kinetic data. We compared five different techniques for computing the PFA location in analysis of data from five wheelchair users propelling their own wheelchairs using their normal propulsion style. The effects of the assumptions used in the calculations on the...

This study, with a top T-52 class athlete, determines the relationship between stroke frequency (SF) and push time (PT) and wheelchair velocity (Wv) using different handrim diameters (HD) and the effect of different HDs on the athlete's heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (LACT) at competition speeds. Wv shows a linear-direct relationship with SF but a linear-inverse relationship with PT (p < .00...

INTRODUCTION The upper extremities especially the shoulders are at serious risk for overuse in handrim wheelchair users. It has been shown that upper extremity complaints frequently occur within the wheelchair user population [1]. However, physical activity and an active lifestyle are important to maintain general fitness and to prevent long term health problems. Because handrim wheelchair prop...

Wheelchair ergometer testing is used to characterize wheelchair propulsion mechanics. The reliability of kinematic and kinetic measures has not been investigated for wheelchair ergometer testing. In this study, test-retest reliability of biomechanical measurements on a wheelchair ergometer was determined during a submaximal endurance test. Ten nondisabled subjects (seven male, three female), in...

the repetitious nature of propelling a wheelchair has been associated with the high incidence of injury among manual wheelchair users (mwus), mainly in the shoulder, elbow and wrist. recent literature has found a link between handrim biomechanics and risk of injury to the upper extremity. the valid measurement of three‑dimensional net joint forces and torques, however, can lead to a better unde...