Selected factors affecting the efficiency of wheelchair mobility in individuals with spinal cord injury

• Published in: Advances in rehabilitation 2016-06, Vol.30 (2), p.5-15
• Main Authors: Przysada, Grzegorz, Wyszyóska, Justyna, Drużbicki, Mariusz, Pajda, Anna, Leszczak, Justyna, Podgórska-Bednarz, Justyna, Kołodziej, Krzysztof
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: locomotion; spinal cord injuries; wheelchair
• ISSN: 1734-4948; 0860-6161; 1734-4948
• DOI: 10.1515/rehab-2015-0039

Locomotion efficiency levels in individuals with spinal cord injury deal cord injury depend upon the level of spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury aims to prepare them to function in society in the best possible manner. One of the significant tasks of rehabilitation is to develop the skill of moving in a wheelchair, which becomes the only means of locomotion for most people. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of selected factors such as age, sex, time from the occurrence of the injury, the level of spinal cord injury, participation in Active Rehabilitation camps and the level of physical activity on the efficiency of locomotion in a wheelchair in individuals with spinal cord injury. The study included 55 patients after a complete spinal cord injury (39 males and 16 females using manual wheelchairs), aged 19 to 59. The level of spinal cord injury was assessed on the basis of a subjective classification of ASIA. The efficiency of wheelchair mobility was evaluated using the wheelchair manoeuvring technique test by Tasiemski (evaluation of performance of 14 tasks taking into account architectural barriers). The majority of respondents (n = 28) obtained medium level of the efficiency, 16 participants scored low, while 11 individuals scored high. The highest score which women obtained was the medium level. It was men only (n = 11) who scored high. There was no statistically significant correlation between the efficiency of wheel-chair mobility and the level of spinal cord injury. It was observed that younger individuals and those practising sport daily achieved the best test results. Participants’ age affected their locomotion efficiency in a wheelchair. Females demonstrated lower levels of efficiency wheelchair mobility than their male counterparts. Regular physical activity affected the participants’ efficiency of wheeled mobility significantly.