Lower Extremity Weight Bearing During Three Lateral Level Wheelchair Transfer Techniques
By Kankipati, Padmaja; Koontz, Alicia; Bonnier, Michael; Li, Yen Sheng; RESNA Annual Conference - 2010,Publication Date: 2010
Study investigated hand and feet kinetics for three lateral level wheelchair transfer techniques while comparing it to preferred method of transferring in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants were 1 female and 3 male manual wheelchair users with paraplegia from SCI with a mean age, weight, and height of 45 years, 71 kilograms, and 1.75 meters. The head-hips relation was investigated during the performance of the following wheelchair transfer techniques: (1) participants’ self selected method (SS), (2) with the leading arm abducted and away from the body (HH-A); (3) with the leading arm close to the body and internally rotated (HH-I); and (4) a translational technique with the trunk remaining upright and leading arm abducted and away from the body (TU). Participants used their own wheelchair to transfer to and from a bench while force sensors recorded the forces applied by the hands and feet. Peak and average resultant and vertical forces at the feet and hand were not significantly different across the transfer techniques. A pattern of feet forces being consistently higher for the HH-A technique compared to the SS and taught transfer techniques was found to exist. The investigators conclude that greater off loading through the lower extremities using the HH-A transfer technique could potentially preserve upper extremity function. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Web Site: http://www.resna.org )
Link to text: http://web.resna.org/library/conference_2010/Wheeled%20Mobility/Student%20Papers/KankipatiP.html
