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Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

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  • Title: A new method to quantify demand on the upper extremity during manual wheelchair propulsion.
    Author: Sabick MB, Kotajarvi BR, An KN.
    Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil; 2004 Jul; 85(7):1151-9. PubMed ID: 15241767.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: To use an ergonomics-based rating that characterizes both demand on, and capacity of, upper-extremity muscle groups during wheelchair propulsion to help identify the muscle groups most at risk for pain or overuse injury in a relatively demanding wheelchair propulsion task. DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Biomechanics research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen manual wheelchair users with complete (American Spinal Injury Association grade A) T6-L2 paraplegia. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Internal peak joint moments required by each of the major upper-extremity muscle groups for propelling a wheelchair up a ramp; isometric strength of each of the muscle groups in positions simulating wheelchair propulsion; and wheelchair propulsion strength rating (WPSR) for each muscle group, calculated by normalizing the joint demands to their capacity. RESULTS: The largest joint moment was for shoulder flexion, at 39.7+/-13.9Nm. Shoulder flexion also accounted for the peak WPSR value of 66.5%+/-20.3%. Supination and pronation movements had low peak moment requirements (3.4Nm, 5.0Nm, respectively) but high WPSR values (41%, 53%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Even a relatively benign ramp (2.9 degrees ) places a large demand on the musculature of the upper extremity, as assessed by using the WPSR to indicate muscular demand.
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