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The Influence of Age at Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury and Years of Wheelchair Use on Shoulder Complex Joint Dynamics During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl 2022 Dec;4(4):100235

Date

12/23/2022

Pubmed ID

36545526

Pubmed Central ID

PMC9761265

DOI

10.1016/j.arrct.2022.100235

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85153983490 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   1 Citation

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of age at pediatric-onset spinal cord injury (SCI) and years of manual wheelchair use with shoulder dynamics.

DESIGN: Upper extremity kinematics and hand-rim kinetics were obtained during manual wheelchair propulsion. An inverse dynamics model computed three-dimensional acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and glenohumeral joint dynamics. Linear mixed effects models evaluated the association of age at injury onset and years of wheelchair use with shoulder dynamics.

SETTING: Motion laboratory within a children's hospital.

PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen manual wheelchair users (N=17; 6 female, 11 male; mean age: 17.2 years, mean age at SCI onset: 11.5 years) with pediatric-onset SCI (levels: C4-T11) and International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI grades: A (11), B (3), C (2), and N/A (2).

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Acromioclavicular, sternoclavicular, and glenohumeral angles and ranges of motion, and glenohumeral forces and moments.

RESULTS: We observed a decrease in maximum acromioclavicular upward rotation (ß [95% confidence interval {CI}]=3.02 [0.15,5.89], P=.039) and an increase in acromioclavicular downward/upward rotation range of motion (ß [95% CI]=0.44 [0.08,0.80], P=.016) with increasing age at SCI onset. We found interactions between age at onset and years of use for maximum glenohumeral abduction (ß [95% CI]=0.16 [0.03,0.29], P=.017), acromioclavicular downward/upward rotation range of motion (ß [95% CI]=-0.05 [-0.09,-0.01], P=.008), minimum acromioclavicular upward rotation (ß [95% CI]=-0.34 [-0.64,-0.04], P=.026). A decrease in glenohumeral internal rotation moment (ß [95% CI]=-0.09 [-0.17,-0.009], P=.029) with increasing years of use was found.

CONCLUSIONS: Age at injury and the years of wheelchair use are associated with shoulder complex biomechanics during wheelchair propulsion. These results are noteworthy, as both age at SCI onset and years of wheelchair use are considered important factors in the incidence of shoulder pain. These results suggest that investigations of biomechanical changes over the lifespan are critical.

Author List

Leonardis JM, Schnorenberg AJ, Vogel LC, Harris GF, Slavens BA

Authors

Gerald Harris PhD Director in the Orthopaedic Research Engineering Center (OREC) department at Marquette University
Brooke Slavens BS,MS,PhD Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee