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Identifying key experience-related differences in over-ground manual wheelchair propulsion biomechanics

Symonds, A; Holloway, C; Suzuki, T; Smitham, P; Gall, A; Taylor, SJ; (2016) Identifying key experience-related differences in over-ground manual wheelchair propulsion biomechanics. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering , 3 10.1177/2055668316678362. Green open access

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate technique differences between expert and novice manual wheelchair users during over-ground wheelchair propulsion. METHOD: Seven experts (spinal cord injury level between T5 and L1) and six novices (non-wheelchair users) pushed a manual wheelchair over level ground, a 2.5% cross slope and up a 6.5% incline (7.2 m length) and 12% incline (1.5 m length). Push rim kinetics, trunk and shoulder kinematics and muscle activity level were measured. RESULTS: During the level and cross slope tasks, the experts completed the tasks with fewer pushes by applying a similar push rim moment over a greater push arc, demonstrating lower muscle activity. During the incline tasks, the experts required fewer pushes and maintained a greater average velocity, generating greater power by applying a similar push rim moment over a greater push arc with greater angular velocity, demonstrating greater trunk flexion and higher shoulder muscle activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study identifies experience-related differences during over-ground manual wheelchair propulsion. These differences are particularly evident during incline propulsion, with the experts generating significantly greater power to maintain a higher velocity.

Type: Article
Title: Identifying key experience-related differences in over-ground manual wheelchair propulsion biomechanics
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1177/2055668316678362
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1177/2055668316678362
Language: English
Additional information: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Keywords: Spinal cord injury, manual wheelchair propulsion, biomechanics, experience, technique
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Surgery and Interventional Sci > Department of Ortho and MSK Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Civil, Environ and Geomatic Eng
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Computer Science
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1532777
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