Effectiveness of knee pad as an additional device for wheelchairs in improving upper-limb dexterity during seated tasks: a pilot study.
Shouta Kataoka, Kouji Iwamoto, Kenichi Kobara and 4 others
PMID 37915458WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy men inserted more pegs and rated tasks easier with knee pads.
However, they leaned forward more, not less. This pilot suggests stability aids dexterity, but results cannot be applied to wheelchair users.
Key findings
01Participants inserted significantly more pins on the Purdue Pegboard Test with knee pads (29.4) than without (27.9).
02Perceived ease of task performance was significantly higher with knee pads (76.1 VAS) compared to no knee pads (62.9 VAS).
03Trunk inclination angle before the task was significantly greater (more forward lean) in the with-knee-pad condition (10.8 degrees) than the without-knee-pad condition (8.2 degrees).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was a pilot with only 14 healthy young adults, limiting generalizability. Participants were able-bodied, so findings may not apply to wheelchair users with weakened trunk muscles. The experimental chair had a stable solid seat, unlike standard wheelchairs with unstable sling seats. The knee pad was custom-made and may not be readily available or adjustable in the same way for all clinical populations. Results showed increased forward trunk lean, which contradicts the typical goal of postural correction.
Declared interests
Funded by JSPS KAKENHI grant 22K11303. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that knee pads improve postural stability by reducing forward lean. The study found that participants leaned forward *more* with the knee pad, yet still performed better. This suggests the benefit may come from a different mechanism than simple postural correction, and the results are from healthy adults, not wheelchair users.