Introduction: Instead of giving a list of definitive assertions, this lecture will rather try to answer the question: `Does the perfect manual wheelchair (MWC) exist?` Sport MWC can be compared to each other from their wheeling performance, their stability, their manoeuvrability and the materials used for their construction. From the studies that have evaluated these criteria, it is possible to list the features needed by different sport MWC. Material & Methods: Wheeling performance of a manual wheelchair depends on several factors that have been experimentally evaluated in scientific and clinical conditions (van der Woude et al. 1986, Kwarciak et al. 2009, Sauret et al. 2012). Static stability depends on numerous factors that have been studied in various experimental conditions (Cooper et al. 1994, Kirby & Dupuis 1999) but have not yet been gathered into a complete mechanical model (Tomlinson 2000). Manoeuvrability can be defined as the MWC properties to tilt easily backwards and to turn quickly on the spot. Whereas the first one has been indirectly evaluated (Kirby & Dupuis 1999), the second one has been rarely studied (Chénier et al. 2014). Like in most instrumented sports, building materials of sport MWC have evolved from wood to composite materials, which have different mechanical properties that can enhance sport MWC features. Results: Wheeling performance depends on wheels radii, vertical loads on the wheels, fore-aft distribution of the total load, and rolling resistance parameters. Static stability depends on the position of the centre of mass (COM) of the {User+MWC} system with respect to front and rear wheels axles, the distribution of the total mass between front and rear wheels, and wheels radii. Manoeuvrability: The User`s and the system COM should be located near the middle of rear wheels centres and MWC wheelbase should be reduced. Materials used in sports MWC present advantages and drawbacks with respect to the aims and constraints of sport practices. Discussion: Although `The perfect wheelchair` does not yet exist, several mechanical parameters presented and analysed here can be looked for, combined and enhanced on specific MWC designed for a particular sport practice, in order to allow the User to achieve the best performance.
© Copyright 2014 19th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Amsterdam, 2. - 5. July 2014. Veröffentlicht von VU University Amsterdam. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.