RehabMove 2018: EXPERIENCED SEATING-RELATED PROBLEMS AND ASSOCIATION WITH PERSONAL, LESION AND WHEELCHAIR CHARACTERISTICS IN PARAPLEGIA AND TETRAPLEGIA

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study (ALLRISC) OBJECTIVE: To compare experienced sitting-related health and stability problems between persons with paraplegia (PP) and tetraplegia (TP) and to investigate associations with personal, lesion and wheelchair characteristics as well as satisfaction with seating posture. SETTING: Dutch multicenter cohort study. SUBJECTS: Wheelchair-users with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) living in the community for ≥10 years after SCI (N=264). METHODS: A self-report questionnaire on seating was developed. Sitting-related problems and satisfaction with sitting posture were compared between participants with PP and TP using Chi-square, t-tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent reported sitting to be tiring (regularly to always), 28% reported sitting to be painful, 29% pressure ulcers and 8% instability in sitting and 33% during reaching. Except for instability during reaching, no differences in occurrence of sitting-problems were found between the TP and PP-group. Among all characteristics, ‘lack of support in the wheelchair’ associated with all sitting-problems within PP. Persons with TP appeared more dissatisfied with their sitting posture than PP: 51% vs 36% (p=0.022) and respectively 51% and 47% thought sitting posture could be improved (p=0.670). Pain and instability were associated with dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Sitting-related pain, fatigue, pressure ulcers and instability during reaching as well as dissatisfaction with sitting posture were frequently reported by persons with chronic SCI. Especially in persons with PP, sitting problems appeared to associate with experienced lack of support in the wheelchair and seating. Therefore, an accurate hands on assessment -wheelchair/seating-user-fitting and stability check may contribute to prevention of sitting related-problems