Comparison of overground and treadmill propulsion patterns of manual wheelchair users with tetraplegia

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this investigation was to compare overground and treadmill propulsion patterns in persons with tetraplegia.

Methods. In this case series study, we recruited eight adult subjects with tetraplegia (5 men and 3 women, aged 32.5 ± 9.5). All subjects used manual wheelchairs. We used a video motion capture system to record movements as the subject manually wheeled overground and on a treadmill. We classified propulsion patterns into one of four patterns and measured five different geometric variables of each pattern. We compared them statistically using ANOVA.

Results. There were significant differences in max height/max length×100 (H/L%) between propulsion over ground (mean 20% ± 15.3/Lhand, mean 21.3% ± 16.5/Rhand) versus propulsion on treadmill surfaces (roller: mean 30.9% ± 11.2/Lhand, mean 33.5% ± 12.8/Rhand; belted: mean 27.7% ± 8.7/Lhand, mean 34.9% ± 14.2/Rhand) and between the left and right hand.

Conclusion. Results indicated area and H/L% were different among the three surface types and between right and left sides. Caution must be used in extrapolating treadmill results to propulsion over ground or in assuming bilateral symmetry.

Keywords:

• Wheelchairs
• biomechanics
• upper extremity
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the technical contributions of Dr. John W. Standeven and the editorial contributions of Dustin Martinez to this work.