Effect of Seat Height and Angle on Wheelchair Foot Propulsion

University of Manitoba31 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of the project is to explore the effect of differences in seat height and seat angle on bilateral foot propulsion using a manual wheelchair. The objectives of the study are to determine whether differences in seat height and seat angle impact: a) propulsion speed; b) knee range of motion used during propulsion; c) effectiveness of foot propulsion gait; and d) perceived difficulty with foot propulsion. A repeated measures designs allows comparison between 5 different seat height conditions and 4 different seat angle conditions to determine whether there are significant differences in outcome, and if so, which conditions provide better outcomes. Participants will propel a customized MWC through a standardized course using each seat configuration; the sequence will be randomized to reduce any learning effects.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * student in College of Rehabilitation Sciences enrolled in Master of Occupational Therapy, Master of Physical Therapy, or Bachelor of Respiratory Therapy program at the University of Manitoba. * Able-bodied individuals Exclusion Criteria: * Students whose hip width exceeds 21 inches or lower leg length is shorter than 16 inches will be excluded as the test manual wheelchair will not accommodate these dimensions.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Propulsion speed

Speed will be determined via video recording. Two outcomes will be determined initial 10m and total test course

Time frame: ~30-60 seconds

Knee range of motion

Xsens sensors and mobile app will be used to determine the positions of the thigh and lower leg and knee joint angle will be obtained from the difference between these positions.

Time frame: ~30-60 seconds

Effectiveness of foot propulsion gait

Evaluated using the Wheelchair Propulsion Test developed by Askari et al. (2013). Simple, valid and reliable measure of propulsion for either upper or lower extremity propulsion techniques.

Time frame: ~30-60 seconds

Perceived difficulty with foot propulsion

Participant will provide subjective evaluations of how difficult they found foot propulsion after each trial, using Perceived Difficulty Questionnaire (Heinrichs et al., 2021).

Time frame: ~30-60 seconds

Effect of Seat Height and Angle on Wheelchair Foot Propulsion

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes