New wheelie aid for wheelchairs: controlled trial of safety and efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

To test hypotheses that people learning to perform aided wheelies (AW) with a new self-deploying wheelie aid (WA) (1) are safer than those who use the conventional wheelie (CW), (2) are more successful at learning the skills, (3) learn more quickly, and (4) find such skills less difficult.

DESIGN

Randomized, controlled study.

SETTING

Wheelchair obstacle course.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-two subjects (12 wheelchair users, 30 able-bodied) randomly assigned to the CW (n = 23) or AW (n = 19) groups.

INTERVENTIONS

We performed static tests on a WA-modified wheelchair occupied by a test dummy. We also attempted to teach each subject to perform a set of 14 wheelie-related skills.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual analog scale (VAS) of safety, percentage of subjects able to learn the skills, the time required, and subjective difficulty scores (from 1 for "very easy" to 5 for "very difficult").

RESULTS

Up to 11.2 degrees of antitip-device stability was available without the WA extending beyond the rearmost aspect of the rear wheel in the resting position. For the CW and AW groups, the mean +/- standard deviation VAS safety scores were 43% +/- 27% and 98% +/- 2% (p <.0001), respectively; the overall success rates were 93% and 96% (p =.079), respectively; the mean times required to learn a skill (in 5-min increments) were 1.56 +/- 1.08 minutes and.72 +/-.35 minutes (p =.002), respectively; and the mean difficulty scores were 2.94 +/-.38 and 2.23 +/-.34 (p <.0001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The new WA provides stability and wheelie-like function without interfering with maneuverability. Although both groups were equally successful, learning to perform AWs is safer, faster, and less difficult than learning CWs.