Multi-speed Ergonomic Wheelchair
Eligible age
18+ yrs
Accepts
All genders
Locations
1 state
Healthy volunteers
No
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About this study
Over one million Americans rely on their upper extremities for manual wheelchair propulsion. Shoulder overuse injuries are prevalent among manual wheelchair users and these injuries often result in shoulder pain. Severe shoulder pain can lead some wheelchair users to transition from manual to powered mobility, complicating transportation, and reducing independence in activities of daily living. This project will expand the understanding of a new wheelchair design that allows better positioning of the hand rims and allows for different gearing. The investigators will study steady-state propulsion efficiency with different gear ratios and develop a new system with multiple gear ratios. The advanced gearing will allow for a low gear when initiating movement, going uphill, or when moving over carpet, and then a higher gear option for movements on hard flat level terrain. This system has the potential to dramatically improve shoulder ergonomics and reduce pain in many future manual wheelchair users.
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
You may qualify if…
- ✓ Uses manual wheelchair daily
- ✓ Mass less than 125 kg
- ✓ Age 18 or older
- ✓ Decisional competency to provide consent and cognitive ability to participate fully in study procedures
- ✓ Body size appropriate to fit the wheelchairs (16" and 18" seat widths)
You may not qualify if…
- ✕ Sitting surface pressure injuries
- ✕ Flap procedure to address pressure injury less than one year earlier
- ✕ Unable to obtain clinically acceptable seating system for study wheelchairs
- ✕ Not able to propel a manual wheelchair
- ✕ Upper extremity or spine issues which would make this study unsafe, such as recent surgeries, fractures, tendon tears or nerve impingement (will be assessed by SCI physician - Dr. Byron Eddy)
- ✕ Medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, or other conditions that would make the study procedures unsafe (will be assessed by SCI physician - Dr. Byron Eddy)
Where it's recruiting
Minneapolis
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05776030 · last updated 2026-04-20