Wheelchair Flashcards
means of transportation or mobility, but they also provide support, safety, and stability to enable the user to perform functional activities
wheelchair
Factors Associated with the Selection of a Wheelchair Type and Components
- Patient’s impairment, activity limitations, and participation restrictions
- Patient’s age, size, stature, and weight
- User’s functional skills or preference
- Portability/accessibility
- Reliability/durability
- Expected use or patient needs of the wheelchair (e.g., indoors, outdoors, recreation, transfer needs, ability to transport the chair)
- Temporary versus permanent use of the wheelchair
- Potential or prognosis for change in the patient’s
condition, especially as it affects mobility - Mental and physical condition or capacity of the
patient - Cosmetic features
- Options available
- Service
- Cost
Designed for persons who weigh less than 200 lb and for limited use on rough surfaces; not designed for vigorous functional activities
standard adult
Constructed for persons who weigh more than 200 lb or for those who perform vigorous functional activities
heavy duty adult
Designed to be lightweight, may have a rigid or folding frame, and can be made with titanium in a rigid or folding frame; weighs from 12 to 30 lb; benefit is efficiency in propulsion and reduction in cumulative trauma in the upper extremities; weight capacity to 300 lb
ultralight wheelchair
Designed for persons with a body build smaller than that of an adult but larger than that of a child
intermediate or junior
Designed to permit adjustments in the frame to accommodate the growth of the user
growing
Designed for persons up to the approximate age of 6 y
child or youth
Constructed for use indoors, with the larger drive wheels placed at the front of the chair and the caster wheels at the rear; it functions better in confined areas but is more difficult to propel and makes it more difficult for the user to perform many functional activities
indoor
The seat is lowered approximately 2 inches to allow better use of the user’s lower extremities to propel the chair; however, the lower seat may make it more difficult for the user to perform a standing transfer
hemiplegic
The rear wheel axles are positioned approximately 2 inches posterior to their normal position to widen the base of support of the chair and compensate for the loss of the weight of the user’s lower extremities
amputee
Two hand rims are fabricated on one drive wheel, and the two drive wheels are connected by a linkage bar; the smaller hand rim propels the near drive wheel, the large hand rim propels the far drive wheel, and when both rims are moved simultaneously, both wheels are propelled
one-hand drive
The chair is propelled by a deep-cycle battery system, and various types of controls are used to operate the chair (e.g., a joystick, a chin piece, or a mouth stick)
externally powered
A low-profile, fixed frame, lightweight (15-24 lb) chair with features such as a low back, canted rear wheels, fixed or adjustable axles, and fixed or adjustable seat and backrest; it can be bought or customized for various sports activities
sports
Used for persons who need to partially or fully recline at some time when they are in the chair; the chair may be a semireclining or fully reclining chair; semireclining chairs recline to approximately 30 degrees from vertical, and fully reclining chairs can recline to a horizontal position; elevating leg rests and headrest extensions are necessary components for these chairs
reclining
- Measure from the user’s heel to the popliteal fold, and add 2 inches to allow clearance of the footrest
- 19.5 to 20.5 inches
seat height/leg length
- Measure from the user’s posterior buttock, along the lateral thigh, to the popliteal fold; then subtract approximately 2 inches to avoid pressure from the front edge of the seat against the popliteal space
- 16 inches
seat depth
- Measure the widest aspect of the user’s buttocks, hips, or thighs, and add approximately 1.5 inches; this will provide space for bulky clothing, orthoses, or clearance of the trochanters from the armrest side panel
- 18 inches
seat width
- Measure from the seat of the chair to the floor of the axilla with the user’s shoulder flexed to 90 degrees, and then subtract approximately 4 inches; this will allow the final back height to be below the inferior angles of the scapulae (Note: This measurement will be affected if a seat cushion is to be used; the person should be measured while seated on the cushion, or the thickness of the cushion must be considered by adding that value to the actual measurement)
- 16 to 16.5 inches
back height
- Measure from the seat of the chair to the olecranon process with the user’s elbow flexed to 90 degrees, and then add approximately 1 inch (Note: This measurement will be affected if a seat cushion is to be used; the person should be measured while seated on the cushion, or the thickness of the cushion must be considered by adding that value to the actual measurement)
- 9 inches above the chair seat
armrest height
A proper fit will allow you to place two or three fingers easily under the thigh, with your hand held parallel to the floor, from the front edge of the seat to a depth of approximately 2 inches
seat height/leg length
Proper fit will allow two or three fingers to be placed between the front edge of the seat and the user’s popliteal fold with your palm horizontal to the seat (C) with your hand held parallel to the floor.
seat depth
Proper fit will allow the placement of your hand, held vertically, between the user’s greater trochanter, hip, or thigh and the armrest panels with your hand positioned vertically to the seat.
seat width
A proper fit for a standard seat back will allow you to place four fingers, with your hand held vertically, between the top of the back upholstery and the floor of the user’s axilla.
back height
too high
- insufficient trunk support because the back upholstery will be too low
- difficulty positioning the knees beneath a table or desk
- difficulty propelling the wheelchair because of the difficulty in reaching the hand rims on the drive wheels
- poor posture when the forearms rest on the armrests
seat height
too low
- difficulty performing a standing or lateral swing transfer
- improper weight distribution
seat height
too low
- increased pressure on the distal posterior aspect of the thigh, decreased function of the upper extremities when propelling the chair, and unsafe mobility
leg length
too high
- increased pressure to the ischial tuberosities, difficulty positioning the chair beneath a table or desk, or decreased trunk stability caused by a lack of support by the posterior area of the thighs
leg length