Assisted reach and transfers in individuals with tetraplegia: towards a solution

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a prototype trunk orthosis to assist an individual with tetraplegia. A single case study (26 year old male, C5 motor complete) using an interrupted time series analysis was conducted to investigate the individual's ability to reach, forward and laterally, and transfer with and without the orthosis. All tasks were performed on an AMTI force platform in the long sitting position, with landmarks of the trunk and limbs recorded using Peak Performances Technologies motion analysis system. After a familiarisation period ten trials were attempted for each phase of the analysis. With the orthosis the subject altered the sitting posture and significantly (F = 9.55, P = 0.003) increased the distance the subject was able to reach. The median frequency of the centre of pressure (COP) displacement during the reaching task was not significantly altered. The ability to displace the COP when attempting to transfer increased from 16.0 (+/-3.4 cm) to 19.6 (+/-2.5 cm), however, this was not statistically significant. The likely user population, the overall functional benefits, the compliance of the users and possible modifications to the device to facilitate use with functional electrical stimulation are all possible directions for future research.