脊髄損傷を模した動作制限が車椅子上り坂走行時の負荷に及ぼす影響

抄録

We applied mobility restrictions on able-bodied subjects to simulate motor dysfunction and investigated the resulting effects on their wheelchair operation ability and mental state. The study simulated spinal cord injuries of the C8-T1 vertebrae. Each subject's torso was secured to a backsupport, while the soles of the feet were suspended. While these mobility restrictions were in place, the subjects ascended slopes at a variety of inclination angles, and we measured the motion, torque, and electromyogram during their wheelchair operations. As a result, applying the restrictions (1) increased handrim operating time, (2) reduced the backwards pulling motion by the upper arms, (3) suppressed trunk muscle activity, (4) increased the psychological burden during operations, and (5) resulted in balance being maintained by immobilizing the knee and ankle joints through the simultaneous operation of the vastus lateralis and gastrocnemius muscles because the torso could not lean forward. These results indicated that despite the compensatory motions, the mobility restricting method used in this study came close to simulating mobility difficulties.