Seating & Positioning

So much about the art and the science of seating is about working effectively with factors that are unchangeable — the wheelchair rider’s diagnosis, progression of the condition, and past mobility equipment, just for starters. Seating teams also need to account for inescapable factors such as pressure, which can be strategically managed, but never fully…

Traditionally, seat cushions that provide the most help for wheelchair riders — such as custom-molded ones with robust support and positioning, or that accommodate asymmetrical or windswept postures — have come with tradeoffs. They can be bulky and heavy. They don’t breathe well, so they trap and hold heat. They also trap and hold moisture,…

Truly managing pressure injury risk requires a wide-angle lens that takes in everything a wheelchair rider does — and everywhere that rider sits — all day long. “People think it was just that car ride over the weekend or sitting on a commode for too long that caused this pressure injury,” said Nicole LaBerge, PT,…

Microclimate is an inescapable factor in every wheelchair seating system, and, like pressure, needs to be assessed for each wheelchair rider. But what exactly is microclimate, what are its potential consequences, and who is most likely to be impacted? In this Mobility Management digital edition focusing on microclimate, read about … • the factors that…

Amylior — the Canadian manufacturer and distributor of complex power wheelchairs, power seating, wheelchair seat cushions, and standing/walking aids — has hired its first direct sales representative for the United States. In a July 1 social media post, Amylior welcomed Robert McLean, ATP/SMS, saying, “He will be covering our full product line,” including Alltrack power…

Kalogon has launched a 3D-printed custom back support designed to complement the company’s Orbiter Med wheelchair seat cushion. The Bondar back is “designed for people who need additional postural correction or support from their wheelchairs,” Kalogon said in a June 17 press release. The company used clinical feedback to design the new back support, which…

Kalogon, manufacturer of smart seating systems, has expanded into the Australian market via a new partnership with Paragon Mobility, a Complex Rehab Technology provider in Queensland. The agreement calls for Paragon Mobility to exclusively distribute Kalogon’s Booster system, an external controller that helps wheelchair riders to maintain optimal pressure levels in their single-cell air flotation…

Perhaps the most significant misconception that bariatric mobility clients — and their seating teams — must face is the misconception that higher body weights simply require wheelchairs with higher weight capacities and wider seats. A second misconception: Seating clients with body weights in the bariatric range are all similar to each other, and their weight…

AltimateMedical and Therafin Corp. have announced a “strategic partnership,” with the new agreement closing on March 31. In an April 4 press release, AltimateMedical welcomed Therafin President Todd Fink and Therafin team members. “This partnership combines the strengths of both companies, significantly expanding their collective product offerings and creating opportunities to enhance product innovation and…

The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) has published two position papers. The first — “RESNA Position on Assistive Technology for Lying Posture Care Management (LPCM)” — is a new paper on the importance of postural support in the lying orientation as “a key element of 24-hour posture care management which…