Wheelchair Lab Flashcards
Factors associated with selection of a wheelchair
Pt impairment Pt age, weight Pt functional skills Portability Durability Indoor vs outdoor use Temp vs perm Mental and physical condition Cost
Standard Adult
Designed for people who weight less than 200 lbs and for limited use on rough surfaces
No designed for vigorous functional activities
Heavy duty adult
Constructed for people who weight more than 200 lbs or for those who perform vigorous functional activities
Ultralight Wheelchair
Designed to be lightweight, might have a rigid or folding frame
Weighs from 12 to 30 lbs
Benefit = propulsion efficiency
Capacity = 300 lbs
Intermediate or junior growing child or youth indoor wheelchair
Designed for people with body smaller but larger than child
Accommodates growth of the user
Child or Youth
user up to 6 years old
Indoor
Constructed for use indoors with large drive wheels at front of chair and caster wheels at the rear
Hemiplegic
Seat is lowered about 2 inches to allow better use of LEs to propel the chair
Amputee
Rear wheel axies are positioned approximately 2 inc post to normal position to widen BOS of chair and compensate for loss of weight of LEs
One Hand Drive
Two hand rims are fabricated on one drive wheel and two drive wheels are connected by a linkage bar
Externally powered
Chair is propelled by a deep cycle battery system
Sports
Low profile fixed frame lightweight chair with different features
Reclining
Used with people who need to recline
Effect of sling or hammock seat
IR of femurs
Posterior pelvic tilt
Forward head position
Pelvis slides forward
Things to measure
Seat height Leg length Seat depth Seat width Back height Armrest height
Seat Height/Leg Length
Measure from users heel to popliteal fold and add two inches to clear footrest
19.5 to 20.5 inches
Seat depth
Measure from users posterior buttock, along lateral thigh, to popliteal fold, subtract 2 inches to avoid pressure from front edge of seat
16 in
Seat Width
Measure widest aspect of users buttock, hips, or thighs and add 1.5 inches
18 inches
Back height
Measure from seat of chair to floor of axilla with users shoulders flexed to 90 degrees and then subtract about 4 in
16 to 16.5 inches
Armrest height
Measure from seat to chair to olecranon process with elbow flexed to 90 degrees and then add 1 inch
9 inches above chair seat
Seat Depth - Confirmation
Should allow two or three fingers to be placed btw the front edge of the seat and the users popliteal fold
Seat width - confirmation
Should allow placement of your hand, held vertically, btw users GT, hip, or thigh and the armrest panels
Should be tested with both hands to ensure that patient is in center of seat
Back height - confirmation
Should allow you to place four fingers with your hand held vertically btw top of back and floor of users axilla
Users inferior angles of scapule should be about 1 finger above the back
Armrest height - confirmation
Shoulders should be level
Trunk should be erect
A triangle should be formed by post aspect of humerus, top of armrest, and frame of chair back
