Shoulder kinematics and kinetics during two speeds of wheelchair propulsion.
The primary objective of this study was to examine the kinematics and kinetics of the shoulder during wheelchair propulsion at a slow and moderate speed. Twenty-seven individuals with paraplegia propelled their wheelchairs at speeds of 0.9 m/s and 1.8 m/s while a motion analysis system captured movements of their upper limbs and SMART(Wheel)s simultaneously recorded their pushrim kinetics. Intraclass R correlation and Cronbach's coefficient alpha statistics revealed that all shoulder parameters were stable and consistent between strokes and speeds. The shoulder exhibited a greater range of motion, and forces and moments at the shoulder were 1.2 to 2.0 times greater (p < 0.05) during the 1.8 m/s speed trial. Peak posterior forces occurred near the end of the propulsion phase, and at the same time, the shoulder was maximally flexed and minimally abducted (p > 0.1). Shoulder positioning and the associated peak shoulder loads during propulsion may be important indicators for identifying manual wheelchair users at risk for developing shoulder pain and injury.
Koontz
Alicia M
AM
Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA. akoontz@pitt.edu
Cooper
Rory A
RA
Boninger
Michael L
ML
Souza
Aaron L
AL
Fay
Brian T
BT
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D014910:Wheelchairs