부산대학교 도서관

Wheelchairs are important for daily mobility and recreation of the elderly and physically challenged individuals. The non-ergonomical propulsion design of wheelchairs frequently causes injuries to the upper extremities, especially in the wrist region. In this study, the joint kinematics and kinetics of the wrist joint was analyzed on subjects propelling a novel handle based wheelchair propulsion unit at 1.2m/s speed (20W and 40W respectively). The joint kinematics and the joint moments of the wrist were determined using a 3D musculoskeletal model. The mean values of joint ranges and torques during propulsion at the mentioned speeds were lower when compared to standard wheelchair propulsion with the push-rim, making the novel propulsion mechanism with its compact design an interesting alternative for wheelchair users that might help to avoid or reduce joint injuries.