A new system to measure the trunk angle and pelvis angle during wheelchair propulsion

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The number of wheelchair users is increasing as the population ages. However, there is still lack of tools to objectively assess posture during wheelchair propulsion. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a system to measure trunk and pelvis ROM (range of motion) while driving a wheelchair and to assess the reproducibility of the measured posture changes and cyclic fluctuations during propulsion. METHODS: Motion recorders were attached to the sternum and pelvis of fifteen healthy adults, and a pressure sensor was attached to the right heel. Subjects drove a standard wheelchair using their right leg and trunk and pelvis ROM was measured in two separate sessions. To detect the trend of postural changes during propulsion, a trend curve was computed from the measured ROM using a low-pass filter and then subtracted from the measured ROM waveforms. The resulting curves were normalized and averaged, and the maximum, minimum, and amplitude of the cyclic variation during propulsion were assessed for reproducibility. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients of the maximum, minimum, and amplitude ranged from 0.65 to 0.84. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method can estimate the posture change and the periodic fluctuation during wheelchair propulsion with high reproducibility.