Abstract
Objective
To quantify and compare spinal curvature and shoulder kinematics throughout the manual
wheelchair (MWC) propulsion cycle for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) who
were seated at 2 different seat dump angles.
Design
Single-group, repeated-measures study.
Setting
Academic medical center.
Participants
Individuals (N=28) with SCI or spinal cord disease who used MWCs completed a telephone
screening, and 21 of them were eligible and completed the study.
Interventions
Participants' personal MWCs were modified to have seat dump angles of 0° or 14°, with
a vertical backrest. Participants completed at least 3 propulsion cycles in each condition,
during which spine and shoulder motion data were collected with fiberoptic and electromagnetic
sensors, respectively.
Main Outcome Measures
Thoracolumbar spinal curvature, glenohumeral kinematics, and scapulothoracic kinematics
at the start of push (SP), mid-push (MP), end of push (EP), and mid-recovery.
Results
Participants had significantly less lordosis in the 14° condition for all propulsion
events. Median differences ranged from 2.0° to 4.6°. Lordosis differences were more
pronounced in those with low SCI. Scapulothoracic internal rotation was increased
in the 14° condition at SP and MP (mean differences, 2.5° and 2.7°, respectively).
Relative downward rotation increased in the 14° condition at SP and MP (mean differences,
2.4° and 2.1°, respectively). Scapulothoracic differences were more pronounced in
those with high SCI. No glenohumeral rotations were significantly different between
the conditions.
Conclusions
Scapulothoracic kinematics and spinal curvature differences during propulsion may
be associated with the position of other body segments or postural stability. Because
no differences were observed at the glenohumeral joint, the risk of subacromial impingement
may not be affected by this seat angle change.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
EP (end of push), MP (mid-push), MWC (manual wheelchair), SCI (spinal cord injury), SP (start of push), WUSPI (Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 18, 2017
Footnotes
Current affiliation for Cloud, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Current affiliation for Ellingson, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Supported in part by a training grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, grant no. TL1 TR000137), a scholarship from the Foundation for Physical Therapy, and a training grant from the NIH (NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, grant no. T32 AR56950).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
