Transfer movement strategies of individuals with spinal cord injuries

The ability to transfer in tetraplegia is a focal point of rehabilitation. Many factors have been associated with independence in transferring, yet the majority of these are anecdotal reports. The purpose of this paper is to report preliminary findings of the study of movement strategies of individuals with spinal cord injury attempting a long sitting transfer. Analyses were made from the lateral and posterior views. Pattern recognition techniques show two distinct movement strategies in both views. These were a lift and forward flexion technique from the lateral perspective and a translatory and rotatory technique when viewed from behind. It would seem that the posterior view provides more discriminative information. It is recommended that intervention techniques, such as Functional Electrical Stimulation or orthotic devices be developed within fundamental motion analysis constructs to optimize functional outcome.