Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate how using a wheelchair with rear-wheel camber (when the bottoms of the wheels are farther apart than the lops) is associated with the risk of instability incidents, and to determine the effect of camber on wheelchair stability. Design, Setting, Patients: Epidemiologic data were analyzed from a sample of 576 users of manually propelled wheelchairs in Nova Scotia. A controlled trial was performed using a representative wheelchair occupied by an anthropomorphic test dummy, altering the camber in 5°increments from -15°to +15°. Main Outcome Measures: For the epidemiologic study, univariate and multivariate analyses were used. To measure the static stability, a tilting platform was used according to the guidelines of the International Organization for Standardization. Results: Camber users reported significantly more instability incidents; of these incidents, more were in the rear direction (40% vs 27%) and fewer in the lateral direction [17% vs 28%) (p < .01). When controlling for other factors, camber was associated with a 3.91-fold increased risk of sustaining an instability incident (p < .001). With increases in camber angle in the laboratory, lateral and forward stability increased and rear stability decreased (with the wheels unlocked and locked) (p < .001). Conclusion: Camber use is negatively associated with instability incidents in the lateral direction and positively associated with incidents in the backward direction, probably due in part to the effects of camber on lateral and rear stability.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 78-81 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation |
| Volume | 78 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1997 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:From the Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine (Drs. Trudel, Kirby, Ms. Ackroyd-Stolarz) and the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology (Dr. Kirkland), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Submitted for publication February 9, 1996. Accepted in revised form June 4, 1996. Funded by the Medical Research Council of Canada, the Fellowship Program of the Department of Medicine of Dalhousie University, and the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Legacy Fund. No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated. Reprint requests to Guy Tmdel, MD, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, The Rehabilitation Centre, 505 Smythe Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada KlH 8M2. 0 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 0003-9993/97/7801-3887$3.00/O
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Rehabilitation
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't