PT410 4 Wheelchairs and Accessibility

What 4 parts of a wheelchair provide postural support?

• seat
• back
• armrest
• foot rigging

What 5 parts of a wheelchair are a mobility base?

• drive wheels
• tires
• lcosk
• frames
• casters

What are 4 additional components of a wheelchair?

• anti-tipping device
• cushion
• calf pad
• heel strap

What are the 2 purposes of a seat cushion?

• prevent pressure injuries
• give better support

What are the 2 types of seats?

• sling/flexibile
• rigid

What determines the hight of the seat back?

level of support needed

Why would someone need a reclining wheelchair?

if they have poor trunk control

Why would someone need a tilt-in-space wheelchair?

if they'll be in a wheel chair all day and need pressure relief

What are the types lengths of armrests?

• full length
• desk length

What are the 3 parts of the front rigging?

• foot rest
• leg rest
• heel loops

What are the 4 parts of the drive (push) wheels?

• inner rim
• outer rim
• camber
• caster

What is the difference between solid and pneumatic inner rims?

• solid - easier to push and for indoor use
• pneumatic - better shock absorption and has traction ridges

What is the purpose of the outer rim of the drive (push) wheels?

allow patients with weak grip strength to pushh the whee

Why would the outer rim of a wheelchair have oblique projections?

allows patient to push with wrist flexors

What is the camber of the drive (push) wheel?

angle of the rear wheel to the vertical

What is the caster of the drive (push) wheel?

small wheel on front

What is the difference between a solid and pneumatic caster?

• solid - smooth but bumpier ride
• pneumatic - better shock absorption

What is the difference between having a larger or smaller caster?

• larger - bigger turning radius and not as mobile
• smaller - smaller turning radius

What is an anti-rollback break?

prevents rolling backward but allows wheel chair to go forward; good for slopes

What makes a sports wheelchair different?

• lower seat
• larger and thicker wheels
• light weight and easier to move

Why would someone need a front wheel drive power chair?

outdoor use, more stable, and larger turning radius

Why would someone need a read wheel drive power chair?

outdoor use, more stable, and larger turning raidus

Why would someone need a mid wheel drive power chair?

indoor use because of the smaller turning radius, less stable

What makes an amputee wheelchair different?

• no leg rest on amputation side
• drive wheels are in back

What makes a bariatric wheelchair different?

• larger seat size
• higher weight capacity

How do calculate the seat depth of a wheelchair for a patient?

subtract 2 inches from upper leg length (back of hips to popliteal)

What can you do to get a better measurement of upper leg length?

in supine with hips and knees flexed

What happens if the seat depth is too shallow?

not enough support of thigh and increased pressure of tigh on sacrum and smaller support

What happens if the seat depth is too deep?

increased pressure under knees and causes posterior pelvic tilt

How do you measure the seat width for a patient?

add 1-2 inches to distance between outer edges of patient's hips

What happens if a wheel chair seat is too wide?

harder to push and increased pressure on one side

What happens if a wheel chair seat is too narrow?

increased pressure on side of hip

How do you calculate seat to floor height?

• sole of foot to popliteal fold
• sole of shoe to popliteal fold
• then add 2 inches
** subtract thickness of seat cushion if used

When would you need to measure lower leg length in supine?

if the foot and show lower leg length has more than a one inch difference

What happens if the seat is too low?

increased hip and knee flexion

What happens if the seat is too high?

not enough support of lower leg

How do you measure back height?

subtract 4 inches from distance of axilla to seat or height from inferior angle of scapula to seat

What happens if the seat back is too high?

patient leans forward

What happens if the seat back if too low?

posterior pelvic tilt

How do you measure armrest height?

add one inch to sitting surface of hanging elbow in flexed position

What happens happens if the arm rest is too high?

uncomfortable

What happens if the arm rest is too low?

not enough support