Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37884944›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2023

Steering-by-leaning facilitates intuitive movement control and improved efficiency in manual wheelchairs.

Reto Togni, Roland Zemp, Pleuni Kirch, Stefan Plüss, Riemer J K Vegter, William R Taylor

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Reto TogniLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 37/39, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Roland ZempLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 37/39, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Pleuni KirchHuman Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Stefan PlüssLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 37/39, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
Riemer J K VegterHuman Movement Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
William R TaylorLaboratory for Movement Biomechanics, ETH Zürich, Gloriastrasse 37/39, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland. bt@ethz.ch.
ETH Zurich · CHUniversity of Groningen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundManual wheelchair propulsion is widely accepted to be biomechanically inefficient, with a high prevalence of shoulder pain and injuries among users. Directional control during wheelchair movement is a major, yet largely overlooked source of energy loss: changing direction or maintaining straightforward motion on tilted surfaces requires unilateral braking. This study evaluates the efficiency of a novel steering-by-leaning mechanism that guides wheelchair turning through upper body leaning.

methods16 full-time wheelchair users and 15 able-bodied novices each completed 12 circuits of an adapted Illinois Agility Test-course that included tilted, straight, slalom, and 180° turning sections in a prototype wheelchair at a self-selected functional speed. Trials were alternated between conventional and steering-by-leaning modes while propulsion forces were recorded via instrumented wheelchair wheels. Time to completion, travelled distance, positive/negative power, and work done, were all calculated to allow comparison of the control modes using repeated measures analysis of variance.

resultsSubstantial average energy reductions of 51% (able-bodied group) and 35% (wheelchair user group) to complete the task were observed when using the steering-by-leaning system. Simultaneously, able-bodied subjects were approximately 23% faster whereby completion times did not differ for wheelchair users. Participants in both groups wheeled some 10% further with the novel system. Differences were most pronounced during turning and on tilted surfaces where the steering-by-leaning system removed the need for braking for directional control.

conclusionsBackrest-actuated steering systems on manual wheelchairs can make a meaningful contribution towards reducing shoulder usage while contributing to independent living. Optimisation of propulsion techniques could further improve functional outcomes.

Indexed as

ShoulderWheelchairsBiomechanical PhenomenaHumansShoulder PainUpper ExtremityAgilityCross slopeManual wheelchair propulsionSteeringTiltTurning

Identifiers

PMID37884944
PMCPMC10605392
OpenAlexW4387965776

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.