A Simple Simulation System for Quantifying Buttock Loads Caused by Daily Activities of Wheelchair Users

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Wheelchair users are susceptible to pressure injuries on the buttocks due to prolonged sitting.
• Quantifying the load on the buttocks during wheelchair operation is crucial for understanding injury mechanisms.
• Direct measurement on individuals with disabilities poses risks of exacerbating pressure injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a safe and accurate method for quantifying buttock load during wheelchair operation.
• To investigate the causes of pressure injuries in wheelchair users through dynamic simulation.
• To create a simulated cushion that replicates the physical properties of actual cushions.

Main Methods:

• Dynamic simulation using a humanoid model to assess buttock load.
• Development of a simulated cushion with realistic physical properties.
• Evaluation experiments to validate the simulation's accuracy against real-world data.

Main Results:

• The developed dynamic simulation accurately quantified buttock load in the front-back direction.
• The simulation demonstrated lower correlation with actual data in the left-right direction.
• The study confirmed the potential of dynamic simulation for safe buttock load quantification.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic simulation offers a safe alternative for studying buttock load in wheelchair users.
• Further refinement of the humanoid model is necessary to improve left-right load prediction accuracy.
• This simulation method can aid in understanding and preventing pressure injuries for wheelchair users.