Camilla Bussagli
Influence of Seat Tilt Angle and Speed on Interface Pressure During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion: A Pilot Study.
Rel. Laura Gastaldi, Elisa Digo, Anna Sofia Helena Bjerkefors. Politecnico di Torino, Corso di laurea magistrale in Ingegneria Biomedica, 2026
Abstract
Pressure ulcers remain a risk of severe injury among wheelchair users. Although static sitting has been investigated, the effects of dynamic loading during wheelchair propulsion have received comparatively less attention. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to investigate the influence of seat inclination and propulsion speed on seat interface pressure distribution during manual wheelchair propulsion on an ergometer, with the support of kinematic analysis. Two participants (one male with physical impairment impacting lower trunk and legs and one female without physical impairment) performed wheelchair propulsion on a wheelchair ergometer. The test conditions consisted of two propulsion speeds (1.5 m/s and 2.5 m/s) combined with three seat tilt angles (4°, 7°, and 10°).
The interface pressure was recorded using a capacitive pressure mat (Novel GmbH) and synchronised with a motion capture system (Qualisys AB)
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