Abstract
For an earlier study, the authors examined effects of wheelchair-mounted bicycles of two types, a rotating type and a step-on type, on muscles that act against gravity. Results show the step-on type as more effective for training antigravity muscles. For that earlier study, only the right foot pedal sensor was used. By contrast, pedal sensors for both feet were used for the present study. Data were obtained from seven 20–22-year-old participants while riding bicycles with the two drive systems described above with trajectories shown by reflective markers attached to the participants’ body surfaces and reported forces from the left and right pedal sensors. We analyzed the data using OpenSim musculoskeletal model analysis software. The resultant values were similar to earlier results, reflecting significantly lower values of lower extremity joint angular range of motion and significantly lower extremity joint moment amplitudes when using the step-on type bicycle. Trends of the maximum and integral values of lower limb muscle forces were consistent with earlier results, but there were some areas where no marked differences were observed.
