Biomechanical and Perceived Effort in Manual Wheelchair Propulsion
Official title: Comparison Between an Objective Biomechanical Cost and the Physical Perception of a Manual Wheelchair User During Propulsion Tasks
Run by Centre Médico-Chirurgical de Réadaptation des Massues Croix Rouge Française · NCT07897214 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether combining objective shoulder loading data with how hard people feel they’re working can reveal how difficult manual wheelchair propulsion is for users with spinal cord injury.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 15 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Centre Médico-Chirurgical de Réadaptation des Massues Croix Rouge Française Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lyon) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 19, 2026 |
| Main results expected | October 23, 2026 |
| Study ends | October 23, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | October 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07897214 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults over 18 who have used a manual wheelchair for more than two weeks, can transfer autonomously, and can propel bimanually during the session.
✕Probably not a fit
Individuals with cognitive disorders, upper limb injuries, recent significant pain (average pain 4/10 or higher in the past two weeks), or those over 70 may have limited relevance to this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot study explores a protocol that links objective motion- and force-based measurements of propulsion with subjective workload reports. Fifteen manual wheelchair users will be equipped with motion-capture markers and instrumented handrims to perform propulsion tasks on their own wheelchairs, including straight-line moves, cognitive dual tasks, ramp navigation, varied surfaces, turns, and object-reaching paths. After each task, participants rate physical, mental, temporal, performance, effort, and frustration demands and their exertion level; a qualitative questionnaire is also collected. Each participant serves as their own control to compare different conditions, using biomechanical models to estimate shoulder loading. The aim is to assess feasibility and generate within-subject contrasts between objective and perceived demands.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the protocol could improve understanding of real-world demands on wheelchair users and help tailor accessibility standards and rehabilitation strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has explored biomechanical and subjective workload separately; this study combines both approaches within-subject to assess feasibility.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult participant over 18 years of age * Person having signed the informed consent form * Duration of manual wheelchair use prior to the experiment greater than 2 weeks * Ability to perform transfers autonomously, with or without a technical aid * Functional criterion: patient who uses the wheelchair autonomously during the day Non-inclusion Criteria: * Refusal of the person to participate or to sign the consent form * Diagnosed cognitive disorder * Upper limb amputation * Refusal of the person to propel the wheelchair bimanually * Upper limb injury * Average upper limb pain over the past two weeks, on a 0 (no pain) to 10 scale: \< 4 * Person aged over 70 years
Where it's running
-
Centre Médico-Chirurgical de Réadaptation des Massues
Lyon, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Julie Rozaire
- Email: julie.rozaire@croix-rouge.fr
- Phone: +33 4 72 38 11 43
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.