Comparison of Muscle Load, Comfort, Usability, and Time-On-Task Across 3 Wheelchair Handle Orientations and Ground Types: A Randomized Crossover Study

08 March 2026 : Clinical Research

Yen-Hui Lin

^{ABCG 1,2}, Chien-Chun Chang

^{BEF 3}, Victor Ei-Wen Lo

^{ABE 4}, Ting-Jen Chen^{EF 1}, Wei-Hsien Hong

^{ABCDF 3*}

DOI: 10.12659/MSM.951420

Med Sci Monit 2026; 32:e951420

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Table 3 Discomfort levels (Borg CR-10 scale) analyzed using non-parametric tests with effect sizes (Kendall’s W, 95% CI) (n=28, unit: score).

Ground muscles	Ramp	Level ground	Cone path	Handle orientations			Ground types

				p-value	Kendall’s W	95% CI	p-value	Kendall’s W	95% CI

Arms & hands

Parallel handle	3.6±0.9	3.0±0.8	3.0±0.8	R: 0.082	0.090	0.037–0.320	P: 0.001,,^*	0.256	0.000–0.101
Vertical handle	3.1±1.0	2.6±0.9	2.9±0.9	L: 0.002,,^*	0.321	0.000–0.101	V: 0.015,^*	0.149	0.000–0.104
Lateral handle	3.2±1.0	2.6±0.8	2.9±0.8	C: 0.558	0.021	0.465–0.820	L: 0.009,^*	0.170	0.000–0.104

Lower back

Parallel handle	3.7±0.9	2.9±0.9	2.9±0.8	R:<0.001,,^*	0.303	0.000–0.101	P:<0.001,,^*	0.319	0.000–0.101
Vertical handle	2.6±0.9	2.6±0.8	2.6±0.8	L: 0.015,^*	0.149	0.000–0.101	V: 0.497	0.025	0.245–0.612
Lateral handle	3.1±0.9	2.7±0.7	2.8±0.7	C: 0.178	0.062	0.000–0.222	L: 0.005,^*	0.192	0.000–0.101
Values are given as mean±SD; CI – confidence interval; ^* ^a p ^b ^c p ^@ ^# ^§ p

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