Experience of a seating clinic

Patients who cannot walk, particularly those with orthopaedic deformities, need more than a simple wheelchair; they require a special seating system. Since the early 1970's many different systems have been introduced to the field of orthotics and prescribed through "Seating Clinics" in many centres in North America and around the world. Our experience in the Seating Clinic at the University of Kansas Medical centre is presented. Most patients were children (70%) with 69% male and 31% female. Various seating systems were prescribed, including the Safety Travel Chair, the Moulded Plastic Insert, the Orthopaedic Body Support (foam on plywood), the Spinal Support System, the Moulded Seat Total Contact Shell (sitting support orthosis) and the DESEMO support system. The majority of patients had cerebral palsy (58%) and muscular dystrophy (33%). Other conditions included spinal cord injury, spina bifida and multiple orthopaedic deformities. Sixty five percent of the custom made seating systems prescribed were the Orthopaedic Body Support. Unilateral dislocation of the hip presents a major problem in seating because of pelvic obliquity.