This investigation developed the Wheelchair Users Functional Assessment (WUFA). Because no functional outcome tools exist that include many of the daily activities that are needed to be independent by individuals using manual wheelchairs, development of an appropriate tool was deemed important. Although the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) can be used to assess disability in those using a ...

A wheelchair is a tool used to assist people with physical limitations in their legs. The most widely are standard wheelchairs manual operating system by being pushed hand. However, disabilities who have paralysis or suffer from neuromuscular and neurological conditions cannot use this wheelchair. Because of this, study focuses on implementing the Brain Computer Interface generate five commands...

The main purpose of this study was to determine sexuality of disabled athletes depending on the form of locomotion. The study included 170 disabled athletes, aged between 18 and 45. The entire population was divided into 3 research groups depending on the form of locomotion: moving on wheelchairs (n=52), on crutches (n=29) and unaided (n=89). The research tool was a questionnaire voluntarily an...

OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of acupuncture and Trager Psychophysical Integration (a form of manual therapy) in decreasing chronic shoulder pain in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). DESIGN A prospective clinical trial, with subjects randomized to acupuncture or Trager treatment condition. Subjects served as their own controls by including a 5-week pretreatment baseli...

UNLABELLED Wheelchair propulsion plays a significant role in the development of shoulder pain in manual wheelchair users (MWU). However wheelchair propulsion metrics related to shoulder pain are not clearly understood. This investigation examined intra-individual kinematic spatial variability during semi-circular wheelchair propulsion as a function of shoulder pain in MWU. Data from 10 experien...

This article describes the robotic assistive technologies developed for users of electrically powered wheelchairs, within framework European Union’s Interreg ADAPT (Assistive Devices Empowering Disabled People Through Robotic Technologies) project. In particular, special attention is devoted to integration advanced sensing modalities and design new shared control algorithms. response clinical n...

The objective of this study was to conduct a kinetic analysis of manual wheelchair propulsion during start-up on select indoor and outdoor surfaces. Eleven manual wheelchairs were fitted with a SMART(Wheel) and their users were asked to push on a course consisting of high- and low-pile carpet, indoor tile, interlocking concrete pavers, smooth level concrete, grass, hardwood flooring, and a side...

The hand pattern (i.e., full-cycle hand path) used during manual wheelchair propulsion is frequently classified as one of four distinct hand pattern types: arc, single loop, double loop or semicircular. Current clinical guidelines recommend the use of the semicircular pattern, which is based on advantageous levels of broad biomechanical metrics implicitly related to the demand placed on the upp...

OBJECTIVES To examine variation in provision of assistive technology (AT) devices and the extent to which such variation may be explained by patient characteristics or Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative region. DESIGN Retrospective population-based study. SETTING VHA. PARTICIPANTS Veterans poststroke in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (N=12,046). INTERVENTIONS Not applicable...

There is minimal research of upper extremity joint dynamics during pediatric wheelchair mobility despite the large number of children using manual wheelchairs. Special concern arises with the pediatric population, particularly in regard to the longer duration of wheelchair use, joint integrity, participation and community integration, and transitional care into adulthood. This study seeks to pr...