Rolling resistance of casters increases significantly after two years of simulated use

Summary

Manual wheelchair propulsion is associated with upper limb pain and injury, and clinical guidelines recommend minimizing propulsive force to lower health risks. One of the strategies to reduce propulsive force is by minimizing rolling resistance (RR). Product testing studies suggest that RR of casters is affected by wear and tear which could have implications on the health risk of wheelchair users. The study will investigate the relationship between caster RR and environmental exposure using standard testing protocols. Methods: RR of ten casters representing a range of diameters for different models of wheelchairs were measured before and after environmental exposure that includes corrosion, shock and abrasion simulating two years of community use.