Needs Served
By Seating Evaluation for Seating
Clients with disabilities most commonly
identified with seating, positioning and mobility problems include those with:
spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral vascular accidents,
cerebral palsy, multiple traumas, spina bifida, amputations, cardiac diseases,
metabolic disorders, diabetes and low back pain.
Biomechanical
Principles
The seven principles are: 1. Stability, 2. Maximum Force, 3.
Maximum Velocity, 4.Applied Impulse,
5. Direction, 6. Angular Motion, 7.Angular Momentum
There are two types of stability:
1.) Linear
a.) Static-
at rest a person’s linear stability is proptionial to the mass and the
frictional forces orruttin between the person and any supporting surfaces.
b.) Dynamic- While
moving a person's linear stability is directly related to momentum. The
heavier the athlete and the faster his movements, the greater the person's
linear stability.
2.) Rotary
a.) Resistance against being pushed over
b.) Resistance of rotating an object or person
against a reduction in rate of spin.
The lower the Centre of gravity the lager the base
of support, the closer the line of gravity to the Centre of the base of
support, and the greater the mass the more stability.
Principle #2- Maximum Force
In order for maximum force to be produced it
requires the use of as many joints in the body possible.
For maximum velocity to be produced it requires the
use of the joints from largest to smallest. Leaving out one joint can
reduce the overall force.
Principle #4- Applied Impulse
The greater the applied impulse, the greater the
increase in velocity.
Impulse= Force x Time
Principle #5- Direction
Movement usually occurs in the direction opposite to the applied force.
Principle #6- Angular Motion
Angular motion is produced by the application of a
force acting at a distance from an axis, by means of torque. Angular
momentum increases the closer the force is to the axis.
Principle #7- Angular Momentum
This principle refers to constant momentum when and
athlete or object is free in the air.
Principles
of Seating for Postural Control
The knowledge and application of biomechanical principles
form the basis for the provision of optimal seating and positioning systems.
Biomechanical principles explain body movements. The study of normal healthy
body movements is necessary in order to understand how disability and disease
cause postural deviations in clients. Optimal seating and positioning systems
maintain and improve comfort, health and function. The failure to utilize
biomechanical principles is invariably reflected in poorly fitting seating and
positioning systems. This failure is realized by reports of discomfort from
clients, bodily harm and decreased function. The clients, young or old, may be
physically harmed, uncomfortable and unable to function optimally. The
understanding and application of biomechanical principles will increase the
quality of seating and positioning systems and the overall comfort, function
and health of clients. The success of a durable medical equipment (DME) company
is dependent upon the knowledge of its employees and the quality of its
services.
Proper seating
and positioning is critical for people using mobility devices. Sitting all day
is hard work—something you surely know if you’re a wheelchair user. If you’re
an able-bodied caregiver, however, you may not have given it much thought—until
an endless car trip leaves you feeling stiff, aching and exhausted. Skin that
bears weight in a wheelchair lives in hostile territory. Pressure, shear,
moisture and heat combine to create ideal conditions for the development of
decubitus ulcers. In fact, a landmark study found that at least 20 percent of
wheelchair users have a skin breakdown in any one year, which means that
virtually every user is likely to encounter a skin problem within four to five
years. Ottobock specializes in seating and positioning products for users at
high risk for skin-integrity issues. You are considered at high risk of
skin-integrity issues if any of three statements is true as relates to sitting
in your chair.
- You
have a history of redness and/or the presence of open wounds on your
seated surface.
- You
cannot do an effective, independent weight shift on a consistent basis.
- You
have impaired sensation and don't check your skin daily and don't practice
consistent weight shifts.
The good news is that most pressure ulcers—localized injuries to the
skin and/or underlying tissue, usually over a bony prominence—are preventable.
For that reason, anyone who spends their days in a wheelchair needs three types
of skin protection as it relates to their wheelchair seating system.
Seating for most industrial applications
generally includes an adjustable backrest, a suspension system, a fore-and-aft
track adjustment, an up-and-down seat adjustment, and sometimes an armrest
and/or footrest. Some manufacturers also include devices for lumbar region
support. Unfortunately, many factors combine to make it difficult to design a
suitable seat for underground mobile applications. These include height
limitations due to seam thickness, fore-aft and lateral space limitations due
to the small size of the operator’s compartments, and the natural wear and tear
in the harsh underground mining environment. To compound the problem,
suspension systems used extensively in surface mining equipment and other
off-road applications cannot be used with underground mobile underground mining
equipment, except in the higher-seam mines due to the strict restriction on
height.
Properties
of Materials Used To Construct Seating Systems
There
is a multitude of seating, positioning, and mobility devices available. Each technology device offers specific and
unique characteristics that may or may not meet the needs and be consistent
with the skills of the client. As a
result, technologies must be systematically evaluated to determine specific
features and custom configurations that most appropriate match the client’s
individual needs and abilities.
·
Power
Wheelchairs: front wheel drive, mid-wheel drive,
rear-wheel drive.
·
Pressure
Relieving Systems: cushions, tilt, recline, hybrid tilt-recline,
standing options (i.e., as part of wc, separate from wc).
·
Ambulatory
Devices: walkers, crutches, canes.
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