Article

Evidence suggests that wheelchair (WC) users are exposed to unhealthy levels of
vibration during WC use. Health risks associated with vibration exposure include
vertebral disc degeneration and back pain, which may consequently decrease the
function and independence of WC users. Some evidence suggests that the cushions
used in WCs may amplify vibrations, although conclusive evidence has not been
presented in the literature. This study evaluated and compared the
transmissibility of commercially available WC cushions with two laboratory test
methods: (1) direct measurement of transmissibility while human subjects
propelled a WC over a road course with different cushions and (2)
characterization of cushions with a material testing system (MTS) combined with
mathematical models of the apparent mass of the human body. Results showed that
although dynamic characterization of WC cushions is possible with an MTS, the
results did not correlate well with the transmissibility obtained in the WC road
course. Significant differences were found for transmissibility among the
cushions tested, with the air-based cushions having lower transmissibility than
the foam- or gel-based cushions.

Langue : ANGLAIS