Quantification of Shoulder Pathology and Manual Wheelchair Propulsion in Children and Adults with Spinal Cord Injury using Advanced Biomechanical Modeling and Diagnostic Imaging

The proposed four-year project will identify shoulder pathology, variability of human movement, and shoulder joint kinetics in pediatric and adult manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). Current manual wheelchair training guidelines for individuals with pediatric and adultonset SCI is limited. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship among joint dynamics and shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears and pathology are a critical first step in the prevention of musculoskeletal disease. This work has a significant impact by informing the development of cost effective interventions for individuals with SCI.