Sitting Pressure Measurements in Wheelchair Users—Can the Effects of Daily Relief Activities Be Depicted?

This study investigates whether a pressure mat can reflect the daily relief activities of wheelchair users. The research involved measuring the pressure of 33 wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries after 30 and 90 minutes of sitting. The study used a commercial pressure mat and graph-based surface analyses to assess parameters like maximum pressure area and pressure-area ratio. Participants were divided into those who could actively change their position and those who could not. The findings suggest that the pressure-area ratio, which is the ratio of maximum pressure area to total pressure-loaded area, should be considered when measuring seat pressure in wheelchair users, as it reflects their daily relief activities.

• 1
  For participants able to actively change position, pressure mat parameters and graph-based analyses remained unchanged.
• 2
  In participants unable to actively change position, the area of maximum pressure and the pressure–area ratio increased.
• 3
  Significant differences between 30 and 90 minutes were found only in the pressure–area ratio for inactive participants.