EFFECTS OF SEAT POSITION ON JOINT LOADS OF THE UPPER EXTREMITIES DURING HANDCYCLING IN WHEELCHAIR-DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

The current study aimed to quantify the joint moments of the upper extremities with different seat positions during handcycling in wheelchair-dependent individuals. Sixteen subjects performed handcycling while the handgrip reaction forces were measured by a handgrip instrumented with a six-component load cell and body segment kinematic data by a motion capture system. Both data sets were used to calculate joint moments of the upper limbs during a crank cycle. The loads at the shoulder were affected mostly by the vertical seat positions. The higher the seat, the greater loads transmitted by the muscles with relatively greater strength. The current data will be helpful for future handcycle design and fitting for wheelchair-dependent individuals.