Comparison of seat pressures on three bowel care/shower chairs in spinal cord injury.

Pressure, positioning, and postural support are critical aspects in the design of a new bowel care/shower chair for persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The purpose of this evaluation was to evaluate seating pressures on three existing bowel care/shower chairs commonly used by persons with spinal cord injuries. A pressure mapping device, the Force Sensing Array, was used to measure seat pressure, position and postural support. Three seated subjects with spinal cord injuries were evaluated on each of the following three bowel care/shower chairs: Lumex, TRAUM-AID and E&J. The results of this evaluation will be briefly presented. This study is part of a larger study to design a bowel care/shower chair that uniquely meets the needs of persons with spinal cord injury.