Effect of gloves on wheelchair pushrim kinetics

The incidence of upper extremity injuries among wheelchair users is higher than the general population. The high incidence of injury has been attributed to the high impact forces and repetition motions associated with propelling a wheelchair. The purpose of this study was to determine if using gloves could reduce injurious pushrim forces and moments. Seven experienced wheelchair users were instructed to push their personal wheelchair at 1.8 m/s with a SMART^Wheel attached. The subjects propelled the wheelchair under two conditions: (1) with gloves, and (2) without gloves. Mean peak F_z, F_r, F_t, M_z, and mechanical efficiency values were calculated for each subject for 10 consecutive strokes. A pair t-test was utilized in order to determine if significant differences exist in force, moment, and mechanical efficiency values between the two conditions. Significantly larger F_t and M_z values were found when gloves were used. A trend towards increased mechanical efficiency was also observed when gloves were used. No significant differences were found in all other force measures between the two conditions. The authors conclude that the use of gloves is advantageous to the user by increasing the forces and moments responsible for forward motion of the wheelchair