title: Measurement of the car steering wheel turning force of persons with cervical cord injuries.
abstract: Steering wheel turning force was measured in persons with cervical cord injuries for evaluation of their ability to drive a car. Seventeen subjects were divided into two groups according to their functional level: Group I (comprising 11 subjects of functional level C6) and Group II (comprising 6 subjects of functional level C7-C8). A device for hand fastening was attached to a steering wheel, which was mounted onto the rotation shaft of a Cybex machine, and the torque for turning the wheel with the right hand at a constant speed was measured. Persons with cervical cord injuries showed characteristically higher left-turning torque than right-turning torque. Mean values and standard deviation of the two groups were: 0.52 +/- 0.16 kgf-m (left-turning) and 0.40 +/- 0.12 kgf-m (right-turning) for Group I; and 0.81 +/- 0.16 kgf-m (left-turning) and 0.76 +/- 0.15 kgf-m (right-turning) for Group II. Subjects in Group I had a turning torque lower than 0.30 kgf-m (the lowest wheel turning torque shown by Japanese cars equipped with a power-steering system) at a turning angle range of between 0-135 degrees in left-turning and 45-200 degrees in right-turning.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation Engineering, Research and Development, Spinal Injuries Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Mitarai
mesh_terms: D001334:Automobile Driving; D006801:Humans; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries