The Influence of Age at Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury and Years of Wheelchair Use on Shoulder Complex Joint Dynamics During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion.
Joshua M Leonardis, Alyssa J Schnorenberg, Lawrence C Vogel and 2 others
PMID 36545526WHAT IT FOUND
Shoulder movement during wheelchair propulsion changes based on age at injury and years of use.
Those injured younger showed specific motion patterns linked to impingement risk as they aged, but pain was not measured.
Key findings
01Individuals injured at a younger age showed decreased acromioclavicular upward rotation and increased range of motion as age at onset increased.
02Those injured early in childhood experienced an increase in glenohumeral abduction and a decrease in scapular upward rotation as years of wheelchair use increased.
03Glenohumeral internal rotation moment decreased with increasing years of manual wheelchair use, independent of age at injury.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (17 participants), limiting the generalizability of the findings. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that these biomechanical changes cause pain or pathology over time. Participants had minimal to no pain at the time of testing, so the study does not reflect the biomechanics of those currently experiencing shoulder pain. The wide confidence intervals in some findings suggest uncertainty about the precision of the results.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these specific shoulder movements cause pain or injury. The study measured mechanics in people without pain and did not track outcomes, so it identifies a pattern, not a cause.