Presenter

Daniel S.U. Tamashiro, University of Sao Paulo Medical School General Hospital (IMREA-HCFMUSP)

Description

Maintaining a proper sitting posture in a wheelchair is essential for the user’s overall health and well-being. A good sitting posture provides stability for tasks involving motor and visual control, reduces the pressure on the joints of the lower limbs, and minimizes hydrostatic pressure in the circulation of the lower limbs. On the other hand, a bad posture while sitting in a wheelchair can cause discomfort, pain, pressure ulcers, breathing difficulties, postural deformities, swelling in the legs, and may even lead to device abandonment. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that the user maintains a good posture while sitting in a wheelchair.
We have developed a lightweight and cost-effective convex seat for wheelchairs to help maintain a healthy seated posture. The unique design of the seat ensures an even surface by eliminating the bowing or hammocking effect of the cushion, providing a flat and stable seating area. This seat insert allows for proper weight distribution, which helps to improve the overall positioning of the user in the wheelchair. Traditional sling seating often leads to poor positioning, causing discomfort and long-term issues such as internal rotation of lower extremities, sacral sitting, posterior pelvic tilt, and obliquity of the pelvis.