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Manual wheelchair propulsion represents a repetitive and constraining task, which leads mainly to the development of joint injury in spinal cord-injured people. One of the main reasons is the load sustained by the shoulder joint during the propulsion cycle. Moreover, the load at the shoulder joint is highly correlated with the force and moment acting at the handrim level. The main objective of this study is related to the estimation of handrim reactions forces and moments during wheelchair propulsion using only a single inertial measurement unit per hand. Two approaches are proposed here: Firstly, a method of identification of a non-linear transfer function based on the Hammerstein–Wiener (HW) modeling approach was used. The latter represents a typical multi-input single output in a system engineering modeling approach. Secondly, a specific variant of recurrent neural network called BiLSTM is proposed to predict the time-series data of force and moments at the handrim level. Eleven subjects participated in this study in a linear propulsion protocol, while the forces and moments were measured by a dynamic platform. The two input signals were the linear acceleration as well the angular velocity of the wrist joint. The horizontal, vertical and sagittal moments were estimated by the two approaches. The mean average error (MAE) shows a value of 6.10 N and 4.30 N for the horizontal force for BiLSTM and HW, respectively. The results for the vertical direction show a MAE of 5.91 N and 7.59 N for BiLSTM and HW, respectively. Finally, the MAE for the sagittal moment varies from 0.96 Nm (BiLSTM) to 1.09 Nm for the HW model. The approaches seem similar with respect to the MAE and can be considered accurate knowing that the order of magnitude of the uncertainties of the dynamic platform was reported to be 2.2 N for the horizontal and vertical forces and 2.24 Nm for the sagittal moments. However, it should be noted that HW necessitates the knowledge of the average force and patterns of each subject, whereas the BiLSTM method do not involve the average patterns, which shows its superiority for time-series data prediction. The results provided in this study show the possibility of measuring dynamic forces acting at the handrim level during wheelchair manual propulsion in ecological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific literature on wheelchair badminton and its distinctive aspects, encompassing abilities and disabilities, propulsion technique, and the use of a racket. The relatively young history of wheelchair badminton is reflected in the scarcity of scientific studies within this domain, highlighting the need for further investigation. The review systematically covers existing articles on wheelchair badminton, offering a nearly exhaustive compilation of knowledge in this area. Findings suggest that athletes with abdominal capacities engage in more intense matches with a higher frequency of offensive shots compared to athletes with little or no abdominal capacities. Moreover, backward propulsion induces higher cardiorespiratory responses, overall intensity of effort, physiological stress, metabolic load, and rating of perceived exertion, particularly at high imposed rolling resistance or speeds, and makes it difficult to generate sufficient forces on the handrim, requiring adjustments in the kinematics of propulsion techniques, particularly at high rolling resistances or speeds, potentially leading to performance decrements. The use of a badminton racket further increases generated forces while decreasing the efficiency of propulsion and modifying the propulsion technique with shorter and quicker pushes, potentially impacting performance. Further research is imperative to explore additional perspectives, address existing gaps, and expand the scope of study within the wheelchair badminton domain. This narrative review serves as a foundation for future investigations, emphasizing the necessity of continued research to enhance our understanding of wheelchair badminton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study with a T-52 class wheelchair racing athlete aimed to combine quantitative biomechanical measurements to the athlete’s perception to design and test different prototypes of a new kind of rigid gloves. Three personalized rigid gloves with various, fixed wrist extension angles were prototyped and tested on a treadmill in a biomechanics laboratory. The prototype with 45° wrist extension was the athlete’s favourite as it reduced his perception of effort. Biomechanical assessment and user-experience data indicated that his favourite prototype increased wrist stability throughout the propulsion cycle while maintaining a very similar propulsion technique to the athlete’s prior soft gloves. Moreover, the inclusion of an innovative attachment system on the new gloves allowed the athlete to put his gloves on by himself, eliminating the need for external assistance and thus significantly increasing his autonomy. This multidisciplinary approach helped to prototype and develop a new rigid personalized gloves concept and is clearly a promising avenue to tailor adaptive sports equipment to an athlete’s needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This current opinion is a call for standardization of measurements of manual wheeling ability among larger and diverse populations to support our understanding of motor control and learning. VIEW OF THE PAST: Handrim wheelchair propulsion remains the most common mode of wheeled ambulation and has stood the test of time as a practical upper-body alternative to walking. CURRENT STATE: Two theoretical models appeared useful in understanding the demands on the wheelchairuser combination and the role of motor skill acquisition: Power Balance Model and Constraint-based Approach. FUTURE PERSPECTIVE: Power output and energy cost measures are crucial mediators in the development of a motor control theory of cyclic motions in rehabilitation, adapted sports and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this exploratory research is to study the impact of holding a tennis racket while propelling a wheelchair on kinetic and temporal parameters in a field-based environment. 13 experienced wheelchair tennis players with disabilities (36.1 ± 8.2 years, 76.8 ± 15.3 kg, 174.8 ± 17.1 cm) classified between 30/8 and first series performed two 20 m sprints in a straight line, on a tennis court: one while holding a tennis racket and the second without a tennis racket. They used their own sports wheelchair. Potential participants were excluded if they had injuries or pain that impaired propulsion. Maximal total force, maximal propulsive moment, rate of rise, maximal power output, push and cycle times and maximal velocity were measured. Sprinting while holding a tennis racket increased the cycle time by 0,051 s and push time by 0,011s. Sprinting while holding a tennis racket decreased the maximal propulsive moment, maximal power output, rate of rise and maximal velocity during propulsion by 6.713 N/m, 151.108 W, 672.500 N/s and 0.429 m/s, respectively. Our results suggest that the biomechanical changes observed associated with racket propulsion are generally in a direction that would be beneficial for the risk of injury. But sprinting holding a racket seems to decrease players propulsion performance. Working on forward accelerations with a tennis racket would be a line of work for coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manual wheelchair (MWC) propulsion is increasingly assessed on a motorized treadmill (TM), which is often considered more ecologically valid than stationary rollers. However, no clear consensus on the similarities between overground (OG) and TM propulsion has yet been reached. Furthermore, no study has investigated the participants' perceptions of propelling a MWC on a TM compared to OG.Research Question: The present study aims to assess the perception of speed when propelling on a TM vs OG, and to relate this perception to measured spatiotemporal variables, kinetics and work.Methods: In this repeated-measures study, the propulsion's spatiotemporal variables, kinetics, and work of nineteen experienced wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury were compared between three conditions: 1) OG at a self-selected speed, 2) on a TM at a self-selected speed perceived as being similar to the OG speed (TMperceived), and 3) on a TM at the same speed as OG (TMmatched). Each variable was compared between conditions using an analysis of variance for repeated measures.Results: All participants selected a lower speed for TMperceived than OG, with a difference of -0.6 m/s (-44%). This adaptation may be due to a combination of two factors: 1) the absence of speed information, and 2) the feeling of urgency to grab the wheels during the recovery phase. The power output, work per cycle, and work per minute were also much lower on TMperceived than OG. However, in contrast to other work on MWC propulsion on a TM, the kinetic variables assessed were all similar between the OG and TMmatched conditions.Significance: Training on a TM should be performed at a speed that matches the OG speed and not at a self-selected speed on the TM, which would reduce the power output and work and therefore reduce the efficiency of the training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent-roller ergometers (IREs) are commonly used to simulate the behaviour of a wheelchair propelled in a straight line. They cannot, however, simulate curvilinear propulsion. To this effect, a motorised wheelchair ergometer could be used, provided that a dynamic model of the wheelchair–user system propelled on straight and curvilinear paths (WSC) is available. In this article, we present such a WSC model, its parameter identification procedure and its prediction error. Ten healthy subjects propelled an instrumented wheelchair through a controlled path. Both IRE and WSC models estimated the rear wheels' velocities based on the users' propulsive moments. On curvilinear paths, the outward wheel shows root mean square (RMS) errors of 13% in an IRE vs 8% in a WSC. The inward wheel shows RMS errors of 21% in an IRE vs 11% in a WSC. Differences between both models are highly significant (p < 0.001). A wheelchair ergometer based on this new WSC model will be more accurate than a roller ergometer when simulating wheelchair propulsion in tight environments, where many turns are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen manual wheelchair users (MWUs) with spinal cord injury participated in a training session on a new manual wheelchair simulator with haptic biofeedback (HB). The training aimed to modify participants' mechanical effective force (MEF) along the push phase to achieve a target MEF pattern slightly more effective than their pre-training pattern. More HB was provided if the participants' achieved MEF pattern deviated from the target. Otherwise, less HB was provided. The deviation between the participants' achieved MEF and the target, as well as the mean achieved MEF, were computed before, during and after the training session. During the training, participants generally exceeded the target pattern at the beginning of the push cycle and achieved it towards the end. On average, participants also increased their mean MEF by up to 15.7% on the right side and 12.4% on the left side between the pre-training and training periods. Finally, eight participants could modify their MEF pattern towards the target in post-training. The simulator tested in this study represents a valuable tool for developing new wheelchair propulsion training programs. Haptic biofeedback also provides interesting potential for training MWUs to improve propulsion effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheelchair propulsion exposes the user to a high risk of shoulder injury and to whole-body vibration that exceeds recommendations of ISO 2631-1:1997. Reducing the mechanical work required to travel a given distance (WN-WPM, weight-normalized work per- meter) can help reduce the risk of shoulder injury, while reducing the vibration transmissibility (VT) of the wheelchair frame can reduce whole-body vibration. New materials such as titanium and carbon are used in today's wheelchairs and are advertised to improve both parameters, but current knowledge on this matter is limited. In this study, WN-WPM and VT were measured simultaneously and compared between six folding wheelchairs (1 titanium, 1 carbon, and 4 aluminium). Ten able-bodied users propelled the six wheelchairs on three ground surfaces. Although no significant difference of WN-WPM was found between wheelchairs (P < 0.1), significant differences of VT were found (P < 0.05).The carbon wheelchair had the lowest VT. Contrarily to current belief, the titanium wheelchair VT was similar to aluminium wheelchairs. A negative correlation between VT and WNWPM was found, which means that reducing VT may be at the expense of increasing WN-WPM. Based on our results, use of carbon in wheelchair construction seems promising to reduce VT without increasing WN-WPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinematics is studied by practitioners and researchers in different fields of practice. It is therefore critically important to adhere to a taxonomy that explicitly describes positions and movements. However, current representation methods such as cardan and Euler angles fail to report shoulder angles in a way that is easily and correctly interpreted by practitioners, and that is free from numerical instability such as gimbal lock. In this paper, we comprehensively describe the recent Tilt-and-Torsion method and compare it to the Euler YXY method currently recommended by the International Society of Biomechanics. While using the same three rotations (plane of elevation, elevation, humeral rotation), the Tilt-and-Torsion method reports humeral rotation independently from the plane of elevation. We assess how it can be used to describe shoulder angles (1) in a simulated assessment of humeral rotation with the arm at the side, which constitutes a gimbal lock position, and (2) during an experimental functional task, with 10 wheelchair basketball athletes who sprint in straight line using a sports wheelchair. In the simulated gimbal lock experiment, the Tilt-and-Torsion method provided both humeral elevation and rotation measurements, contrary to the Euler YXY method. During the wheelchair sprints, humeral rotation ranged from 14° (externally) to 13° (internally), which is consistent with typical maximal ranges of humeral rotation, compared to 65° to 50° with the Euler YXY method. Based on our results, we recommend that shoulder angles be expressed using Tilt-and-Torsion angles instead of Euler YXY. • The ISB advises reporting shoulder orientation using an Euler YXY angle sequence. • Euler YXY has a humeral rotation bias and fails in non-elevated shoulder. • The Tilt-and-Torsion method is simpler to understand and may solve these problems. • We confirm that Tilt-and-Torsion angles are coherent in sports wheelchair propulsion. • We confirm that Tilt-and-Torsion correctly reports rotation in gimbal lock position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheelchair basketball is one of the most popular Paralympic sports. Dribbling a ball while propelling is a key feature of wheelchair basketball. Very few studies have investigated the biomechanical impact of dribbling. This study aims to analyze the impact of dribbling on the amplitude and symmetry of spatiotemporal and kinetic parameters of wheelchair propulsion. Ten experienced wheelchair basketball athletes (31.5 ± 10.6 years old; 7 men, 3 women) with various classifications performed eight 9-m sprints along a straight line on a basketball court: four sprints using classic synchronous propulsion, and four sprints while dribbling a ball down the court. Dribbling decreased velocity, mean propulsive moments and the force rate of rise, as well as increased push time, force rate of rise asymmetry and angular impulse asymmetry. All kinetic variables were asymmetric and higher on the dominant limb. The combination of reduced velocity and propulsive moments when dribbling indicates that wheelchair basketball athletes may deliberately preserve a safety margin of acceleration to adapt to uncontrolled ball rebounds. Dribbling was not associated with any factors associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders. • This study measured biomechanics of dribbling in wheelchair basketball. • Ten experienced athletes sprinted using classic and dribble propulsion. • Dribbling decreased velocity and propulsion moments, indicating a submaximal task. • Dribbling was not associated with any musculoskeletal disorder-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Para badminton entered the Paralympic world for the first time with the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The particularity of this sport lies in the handling of the wheelchair and the racket simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, and considering the youthfulness of this sport, it appears that no study has looked at the impact of the badminton racket on the kinetic and spatiotemporal parameters. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the badminton racket on the amplitude of kinetic and spatiotemporal parameters of wheelchair propulsion, considered as propulsion effectiveness and risk of injury criteria. We hypothesized that holding a badminton racket while propelling the wheelchair modifies the kinetics and temporal parameters of the athlete's propulsion due to the difficulty to hold the handrim, therefore decreasing propulsion effectiveness and increasing risk of injury., Materials and Methods: For six 90-min sessions, 16 able-bodied individuals were introduced to badminton. No injuries hindered their propulsion. They had to propel with and without a racket held on the dominant side along a 20 m straight line at a constant velocity of 5 km/h. They all used the same sports wheelchair equipped with two instrumented wheels (SmartWheel)., Results: Participants increased their maximal total force and force rate of rise but decreased their fraction of effective force with their dominant hand compared to the non-dominant hand when using a racket. In addition, they decreased their fraction of effective force, push time, cycle time, and push angle, and increased their maximal propulsive moment, maximal total force, and force rate of rise when comparing the same dominant hand with and without the racket., Discussion: Using a badminton racket modifies the athlete's force application in a way that is generally related to lower propulsion effectiveness and a higher risk for injury. Indeed, it seems that propulsion with a racket prevents from correctly grabbing the handrim., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Alberca, Chénier, Astier, Combet, Bakatchina, Brassart, Vallier, Pradon, Watier and Faupin.)

Background: While wheelchair basketball is one of the most popular Paralympic sports, it eventually causes shoulder problems and pain in many athletes. However, shoulder kinetics has never been assessed during propulsion in wheelchair basketball. This study analyzes the impact of sprinting and dribbling on pushrim and shoulder kinetics in terms of external forces and net muscular moments., Methods: A group of 10 experienced wheelchair basketball athletes with various classifications performed four, 9-m sprints on a basketball court using classic synchronous propulsion, and four sprints while dribbling forward. Pushrim and shoulder kinetics were calculated by inverse dynamics, using a motion capture device and instrumented wheels., Findings: Sprinting was associated to peak shoulder load from 13 to 346% higher than in previous studies on standard wheelchair propulsion in most force/moment components. Compared to sprinting without a ball, dribbling reduced the speed, the peak external forces in the anterior and medial direction at the shoulder, and the peak net shoulder moment of internal rotation., Interpretation: The high shoulder load calculated during both sprinting and dribbling should be considered during training sessions to avoid overloading the shoulder. Dribbling generally reduced the shoulder load, which suggests that propelling while dribbling does not put the shoulder at more risk of musculoskeletal disorders than sprinting., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chénier, Alberca, Gagnon and Faupin.)

Due to their mechanical design, current wheelchair ergometers cannot simulate the behaviour of a wheelchair propelled on curvilinear paths. This is because they implement a dynamic model of the Wheelchair-user system propelled on Straight Line only (WSL). In this paper, we present a new dynamic model of the Wheelchair-user propelled on Straight and Curvilinear paths (WSC), along with a characterization method based on measurements recorded on the field. Other than measured geometrical constants and kinetic/kinematic data from instrumented wheels, no information about the dynamic parameters such as the system's mass and its moment of inertia are necessary. The accuracy of the new WSC model was compared with the WSL model. To this end, ten subjects propelled an instrumented wheelchair following straight and curvilinear patterns. The recorded kinetics were fed to both models, and their estimated kinematics were compared to the recorded ones. For the curvilinear patterns, the RMS relative error between the estimated and measured rear wheels velocities over a complete push cycle are lower for the WSC model than for the WSL model. Outward wheel: 7.98% (WSC) vs 12.98% (WSL). Inward wheel: 10.76% (WSC) vs 20.73% (WSL)., (© 2011 IEEE)