title: Type and Frequency of Reported Wheelchair Repairs and Related Adverse Consequences Among People With Spinal Cord Injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the frequency and types of wheelchair repairs and associated adverse consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience cross-sectional sample survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  People with spinal cord injury who use a wheelchair >40h/wk (N=591).
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of repairs needed and resulting adverse consequences, number and types of repairs completed, and location where main repair was completed in the previous 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 591 participants responded to the survey, 63.8% (377/591) of them needed ≥1 repair; of these, 27.6% (104/377) experienced ≥1 adverse consequence, including 18.2% (69/377) individuals who were stranded. Of those who needed repairs, 6.9% did not have them completed (26/377). Repairs completed on the wheels and casters were the most frequent repair to manual wheelchairs, whereas repairs to the electrical and power and control systems were the most frequent type of repair on power wheelchairs. Forty percent (79/201) of manual wheelchair users reported completing repairs at home themselves compared with 14% (21/150) of power wheelchair users. Twelve percent of the variance in the odds of facing an adverse consequence because of a wheelchair breakdown can be described as a function of occupation, funding source, and type of wheelchair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wheelchair repairs are highly prevalent. There are differences in types of repairs and who completes the repairs based on the type of wheelchair. Wheelchair breakdowns result in adverse consequences for users, and there is a deficit between repairs needed and those completed, highlighting the need for interventions that address these problems.
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Worobey
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Boninger
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Rory A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Human Engineering Research Laboratories, Department of Veterans Affairs, Pittsburgh, PA; Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. Electronic address: jlp46@pitt.edu.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pearlman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Equipment failure; Reference standards; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injuries; Wheelchairs