Kinematic analysis of the shoulder mechanism in able-bodied non-experienced manual wheelchair users

About 10% of the global population, i.e. about 650 million people, have disabilities [1]. Studies indicate that, of these, some 10% require a wheelchair. Manual wheelchair propulsion is an important form of mobility for those people to become productive members of their communities. The shoulder is a complex mechanism that plays an important role in manual wheelchair propulsion. Better knowledge of upper limb biomechanics during manual wheelchair propulsion can improve understanding of the resulted injuries and lead to improvements in propulsion efficiency. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the simultaneous shoulder complex kinematics during functional manual wheelchair mobility. A protocol for three-dimensional kinematic measurements of the shoulder complex is presented using six degrees of freedom analysis. Each upper limb is treated as a four segments linked system that consists of trunk, upper arm, forearm and hand. Each segment is considered as a single rigid body. Selected temporal and kinematic parameters over the wheelchair stroke cycle are characterised in all three planes of motion.