Wheelchair tilt-in-space and recline does not reduce sacral skin perfusion as changing from the upright to the tilted and reclined position in people with spinal cord injury

The study investigates how different angles of wheelchair tilt and recline affect blood flow in the skin over the sacrum in people with spinal cord injuries. The goal was to see if these adjustments, which are meant to prevent pressure ulcers, might inadvertently reduce blood flow to the sacrum, another common site for ulcers. The researchers measured skin blood flow at the sacrum and ischial tuberosity while participants sat upright and in various tilted and reclined positions.

• 1
  The study found that wheelchair tilt-in-space and recline did not significantly reduce sacral skin perfusion when moving from an upright to a tilted and reclined position.
• 2
  As previously reported, skin perfusion over the ischial tuberosity significantly increased with certain tilt and recline combinations.
• 3
  Specifically, increases were seen at 15°, 25°, and 35° tilt-in-space combined with 120° recline, and at 35° tilt-in-space combined with 100° recline.