Daily wheelchair ambulation is seen as a risk factor for shoulder problems, which are prevalent in manual wheelchair users. To examine the long-term effect of shoulder load from daily wheelchair ambulation on shoulder problems, quantification is required in real-life settings. In this study, we describe and validate a comprehensive and unobtrusive methodology to derive clinically relevant wheelchair mobility metrics (WCMMs) from inertial measurement systems (IMUs) placed on the wheelchair frame and wheel in real-life settings. The set of WCMMs includes distance covered by the wheelchair, linear velocity of the wheelchair, number and duration of pushes, number and magnitude of turns and inclination of the wheelchair when on a slope. Data are collected from ten able-bodied participants, trained in wheelchair-related activities, who followed a 40 min course over the campus. The IMU-derived WCMMs are validated against accepted reference methods such as Smartwheel and video analysis. Intraclass correlation (ICC) is applied to test the reliability of the IMU method. IMU-derived push duration appeared to be less comparable with Smartwheel estimates, as it measures the effect of all energy applied to the wheelchair (including thorax and upper extremity movements), whereas the Smartwheel only measures forces and torques applied by the hand at the rim. All other WCMMs can be reliably estimated from real-life IMU data, with small errors and high ICCs, which opens the way to further examine real-life behavior in wheelchair ambulation with respect to shoulder loading. Moreover, WCMMs can be applied to other applications, including health tracking for individual interest or in therapy settings.
Purpose: The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess confidence in wheelchair mobility in Dutch youth (WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth). Methods: (1) A forward–backward translation process was used to translate the original WheelCon-M from English to Dutch. (2) Items related to wheelchair mobility in Dutch youth were selected and adapted based on focus groups with youth, parents and health care professionals to create the WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth. (3) The WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth and the Utrecht Pediatric Wheelchair Mobility Skills Test 2.0 (UP-WMST 2.0) were administered to 62 participants to evaluate internal consistency and construct validity. Results: Translation and cultural adaptation led to general adaptations in instructions, sentence structure and response scale. At the item level, 24 items were included with (n = 17) and without (n = 7) adaptation, 10 items were deleted and 7 new items were included. The WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth had an excellent Cronbach’s alpha of 0.924 and a significant correlation (r = 0.44, p < .001) with the UP-WMST 2.0. Conclusions: This study resulted in the adaptation of the WheelCon-M into the WheelCon-Mobility for Dutch youth using a manual wheelchair. Our study suggests there is evidence supporting the internal consistency and construct validity of the WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth. Implications for Rehabilitation The WheelCon-Mobility Dutch Youth is a newly developed tool for assessing confidence in wheelchair mobility in Dutch youth using a manual wheelchair. It is important to assess performance and confidence in wheelchair mobility in paediatric rehabilitation.
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Purpose: To provide insight on the effect of wheelchair settings on wheelchair mobility performance (WMP). Methods: Twenty elite wheelchair basketball athletes of low (n = 10) and high classification (n = 10) were tested in a wheelchair-basketball-directed field test. Athletes performed the test in their own wheelchairs, which were modified for 5 additional conditions regarding seat height (high–low), mass (central–distributed), and grip. The previously developed inertial-sensor-based WMP monitor was used to extract wheelchair kinematics in all conditions. Results: Adding mass showed most effect on WMP, with a reduced average acceleration across all activities. Once distributed, additional mass also reduced maximal rotational speed and rotational acceleration. Elevating seat height had an effect on several performance aspects in sprinting and turning, whereas lowering seat height influenced performance minimally. Increased rim grip did not alter performance. No differences in response were evident between low- and high-classified athletes. Conclusions: The WMP monitor showed sensitivity to detect performance differences due to the small changes in wheelchair configuration. Distributed additional mass had the most effect on WMP, whereas additional grip had the least effect of conditions tested. Performance effects appear similar for both low- and high-classified athletes. Athletes, coaches, and wheelchair experts are provided with insight into the performance effect of key wheelchair settings, and they are offered a proven sensitive method to apply in sport practice, in their search for the best wheelchair–athlete combination. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0641 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rienkvdslikke/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemarie-de-witte-9582b154/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniqueberger/
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De prestatie in rolstoelsporten wordt voor een groot deel bepaald door de ‘Wheelchair Mobility Performance’ (WMP), de prestatiemaat voor de atleet-rolstoel combinatie. Binnen het project ‘de perfecte sportrolstoel’ is een methode ontwikkeld ‘de Wheelchair Mobility Performance Monitor’ (WMPM) om mobility performance te meten en uit te drukken in een aantal objectief goed te kwantificeren uitkomstmaten zoals snelheid, versnelling en wendbaarheid. Deze maten geven inzicht in de relatie tussen atleet, rolstoel en sport. Door middel van de WMPM is het mogelijk inzicht te verkrijgen in de fysieke eisen die in rolstoelsport gesteld worden, feedback te geven aan atleten en coaches, het evalueren van training en wedstrijden en het kan rolstoelexperts ondersteunen in het optimaliseren van de rolstoel. Binnen het RAAK-project is de WMPM ontwikkeld en ingezet als onderzoekstool bij verschillende rolstoelsporten. De WMPM biedt echter ook goede kansen voor het gebruik door coaches in de beroepspraktijk. Echter, de WMPM is nog niet eenvoudig toepasbaar voor zelfstandig gebruik door coaches en atleten voor het continue monitoren van prestaties. Met deze aanvraag willen we de implementatie van de WMPM in de beroepspraktijk faciliteren, door het verder ontwikkelen van het systeem naar een praktijkapplicatie en door NL-team coaches en embedded scientists in de rolstoelsporten tennis en basketbal op weg te helpen in het gebruik. Daarbij zal er zowel aandacht zijn voor de technische vervolmaking, maar vooral ook voor de implementatie van het systeem in de sportpraktijk. Samen met coaches, atleten en onderzoekers zal een live feedback tool naar een voor de praktijk toegankelijk platform worden omgezet, zodat deze direct inzetbaar is in de voorbereiding op de Paralympische spelen van 2020 en verder. Hierbij zullen onderzoekers en studenten van meerdere opleidingen als ICT en media en mechatronica betrokken worden.
