The Shift of the Ischial Region during Maneuvering the Standard Wheelchair and the Electric Wheelchair in Healthy Adults

Pressure injuries are frequent secondary complications that occur in patients with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), and the recurrence rate of ischial pressure injury is highest in SCI patients. Most SCI patients use wheelchairs, and some studies have shown a relationship between buttock pressure and sitting posture. However, the pressure distribution during wheelchair maneuvering is unclear. We measured and compared the shift of the ischial region when maneuvering a standard wheelchair or electric wheelchair in healthy adults. The subjects drove wheelchairs on a flat ground of 10 m and the shift of ischial region was measured with a pressure distribution-measuring device. The ischial region shifted forward or backward while maneuvering both the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair, and the shift rate of the ischial region was not significantly different between the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair. The ischial region shift occurred when the forward head moved by the video while maneuvering both a standard wheelchair and an electric wheelchair. Therefore, the shift might occurred because the pelvis shifted forward in conjunction with head movement during maneuvering of both the standard wheelchair and the electric wheelchair. This result showed that it is important to reduce head and trunk movements when maneuvering a wheelchair to reduce the shear force on the buttocks and prevent pressure injuries.