Effect of Seat Height and Angle on Wheelchair Foot Propulsion

NCT06035484 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HS25835 (H2023:027)
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 31
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Manual Wheelchair; Bilateral propulsion; Foot propulsion

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Propulsion speed

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

  ~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.

  ~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.

  ~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).

  ~30-60 seconds

Study Arms (8)

LL & 0

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at lower leg length and set inclination will be zero

Other: Seat height; Other: Seat inclination

LL + 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length plus one inch with an inclination of zero

Other: Seat height

LL - 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length minus one inch with an inclination of zero

Other: Seat height

LL - 2

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length minus two inches with an inclination of zero

Other: Seat height

LL - 3

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length minus three inches with an inclination of zero

Other: Seat height

3 degrees Inclination

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length with a forward seat inclination of 3 degrees

Other: Seat inclination

6 degrees Inclination

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length with a forward seat inclination of 6 degrees

Other: Seat inclination

9 degrees Inclination

EXPERIMENTAL

Wheelchair seat height will be positioned at the participant's leg length with a forward seat inclination of 9 degrees

Other: Seat inclination

Interventions

Seat height OTHER

Seat height of a manual wheelchair will be changed according the different arms specified. The participant will complete a course in the manual wheelchair with each arm.

LL & 0; LL + 1; LL - 1; LL - 2; LL - 3

Seat inclination OTHER

Seat inclination of a manual wheelchair will be changed according the different arms specified. The participant will complete a course in the manual wheelchair with each arm.

3 degrees Inclination; 6 degrees Inclination; 9 degrees Inclination; LL & 0

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Manitoba: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Manitoba

Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0T6, Canada

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Askari S, Kirby RL, Parker K, Thompson K, O'Neill J. Wheelchair propulsion test: development and measurement properties of a new test for manual wheelchair users. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Sep;94(9):1690-8. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2013.03.002. Epub 2013 Mar 14.

  PMID: 23499781 BACKGROUND

• Heinrichs ND, Kirby RL, Smith C, Russell KFJ, Theriault CJ, Doucette SP. Effect of seat height on manual wheelchair foot propulsion, a repeated-measures crossover study: part 1 - wheeling forward on a smooth level surface. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2021 Nov;16(8):831-839. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1741036. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

  PMID: 32238086 BACKGROUND

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate professor

Model Details: Within-subjects repeated measures design

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2023
• First Posted: September 13, 2023
• Study Start: April 20, 2023
• Primary Completion: October 30, 2023
• Study Completion: October 30, 2023
• Last Updated: May 8, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)