Case Report: Adjusting Seat and Backrest Angle Improves Performance in an Elite Paralympic Rower

A Scoping Review with Bibliometric Analysis of Para-Rowing: State of the Art and Future Directions

Para-rowing is a format of rowing practiced by people with different types of disabilities, thanks to adapted equipment set-ups and regulations. Para-rowing made its debut recently at the 2008 Paralympic Games. According to the mandate of the “International Paralympic Committee”, para-rowers should be enabled to pursue sporting excellence. Therefore, rigorous research is needed in terms of well-designed, high-quality studies. To the best of our knowledge, there are no systematic appraisals of the body of scholarly evidence in the field of para-rowing. As such, a scoping review enhanced by bibliometric analyses was carried out to provide a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge related to para-rowing for the perusal of practitioners and athletes. By mining eighteen major databases, 17 studies were retained in the present review. The included studies were found to focus on a range of aspects involving health, the etiology of injuries (n = 5), psychological and physiological responses (n = 5), performance, biomechanical analysis (n = 4), and new analytical approaches for kinematic assessments and predictions of mechanical outputs in para-rowers (n = 3). The scholarly community on para-rowing consists of 78 researchers, 16 (20.51%) of whom are highly interconnected. The most prolific author was Smoljanović T., from Croatia, with three items/documents. In total, 93.6% of scholars have authored one single document. Topological features indicated a highly fragmented and dispersed, poorly connected community characterized by a high number of clusters and a low strength of connections. In terms of publication years, the first scholarly article dates back to 2008, with four articles (23.5%) published in the current year, showing an increasing interest in this para-sports discipline. Finally, gaps in current research on para-rowing were identified in terms of overlooked topics, including sports nutrition, doping, and psychological aspects in para-rowers other than those with visual impairment.

What fits me? Procurement of adapted tricycle for activity and participation

PURPOSE

To determine which factors are relevant when applying for the most appropriate adapted tricycle for people with disabilities.

METHODS

Patients participating in a rehabilitation programme and planning to apply for an adapted tricycle were invited to participate in an observational study. Measurements used were watts when pedalling, 6-minute walk test, the Trunk Impairment Scale, 30 s sit-to-stand test, Oxford Scale of muscle strength and range of motion testing. Participants answered questions about important factors for choice of tricycle. Nonparametric correlation tests were performed using SPSS to investigate relevant associations between test results and tricycle type.

RESULTS

The study included 37 participants with a large variety of complex disabilities who applied for 9 different adapted tricycles. Participants ranged in age from 5 to 79 years (M = 24 years, SD = 20), with almost half (49%) under 18 years of age. More than half of the participants (57%) were women. Most participants chose an assistive motor. Participants over 50 years applied for a recumbent tricycle. Answers on questionnaire revealed safety, comfort and mastery as important factors for tricycle choice.

CONCLUSIONS

Large variations in personal characteristics and needs indicate that individually tailored assessments are necessary to find the most appropriate tricycle.Implications for rehabilitationLarge variations of characteristics and needs among people with disabilities and tricycle types indicate individual-level analyses are necessary to find the most appropriate one.A large selection of tricycles and support from an experienced professional when testing are success factors for finding the most appropriate tricycle.