STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional.OBJECTIVES: To describe the manual wheelchair (MWC) skill profiles of experienced MWC users with spinal cord injury and their wheeled mobility (distance and speed) while considering their level of injury and age.SETTING: Rehabilitation centers, participant's home and the community.METHODS: MWC skills were evaluated using the wheelchair skills test (WST) and wheeled mobility data were collected in the participants' own environment over a 7-day period, using a Cateye cycle computer (VELO 8). A total of 54 participants took part in the study.RESULTS: The mean total performance score of the sample on the WST was 80.7±11.8%, with a significant difference between participants with tetraplegia (C4-C8) and those with low-level paraplegia (T7-L2) (P<0.01). The average daily distance covered was 2.5±2.1 km at 1.7±0.9 km h(-1), with no significant difference between participants with paraplegia and those with tetraplegia (wheeled distance: P=0.70; speed: P=0.65). Significant relationships were found between MWC skills and daily wheeled distance (r=-0.32, P<0.05), but the correlation between these variables did not remain significant when controlling for age (partial r=0.26, P=0.07).CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the level of injury is related to MWC skills but not wheeled mobility. MWC skills are related to greater wheeled distance, but to a lesser extent when controlling for age.
Adult Aged