From left to right, the photos illustrate hanger angles that are 90, 60, and 70. Sometimes, interference between the caster and the footplate can be caused depending upon their relative size and angle. By increasing the wheelbase length in front of the wheelchair, the wheelchair is less likely to tip forward as the base of support is lengthened through the front of the wheelchair. Do you accept these cookies and any processing of personal data involved? This month, lets focus on how the position of the front casters effects the load distribution between the rear wheels and front casters. Photos are copyright of Sunrise Medical Inc. In a previous article, I wrote about the position of the rear wheels of a manual wheelchair and its effects on centre of gravity and weight distribution between the front casters and rear wheels. The below photo, to the right, shows the caster housing in a leading, or forward, position; that is, the caster housing is anterior to the frame of the wheelchair. Below are photos of different hanger angles to provide a visual representation of how the hanger angle increases the distance from the wheelchair. Many variables must be considered in order to find the optimal solution for an individual. Never disregard your professional medical training when providing medical advice or treatment because of something you have read on this website (or any document referenced herein). (This is similar to the concept of the position of the rear wheel affecting posterior stability, which was discussed in the article, Centre of Gravity and Manual Wheelchairs, which can be found here.). See list of cookies. Clinicians should review this (and any other materials) carefully and confirm information contained herein with other sources. Reliance on this website (and the information contained herein) is solely at your own risk. Front Caster Position in Manual Wheelchairs, Front-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Power Wheelchairs, Mid-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Power Wheelchairs, Rear-Wheel Drive All-Terrain Power Wheelchairs, Children's Mid-Wheel Drive Power Wheelchairs. Some models of manual wheelchairs allow the position of the housing for the front casters to be changed relative to the frame. No material on this website (or any document referenced herein) is intended to be used as (or a substitute for) professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Caster interference may be observed when the caster fork swings when the wheelchair is being reversed and the caster gets caught on the footplate. An additional benefit of having the front casters in the leading position is that the stability of the wheelchair is increased anteriorly. We also use third-party social media and advertising cookies to offer you social media functionalities and personalized ads on other sites. The size of caster selected will influence the rolling resistance of the wheelchair and the ability to climb obstacles as a caster can climb an obstacle half its size. The combination of the caster housing position and the selection of caster size, fork geometry, hanger angle, and footplate position influence the relative position of the caster and the footplate. These include cookies that keep track of your session ID when exploring our site and also assist in security and login authentication. THIS WEBSITE (AND THE DOCUMENTS REFERENCED HEREIN) DO NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. When the caster housing is in a leading position, there is less clearance between the caster and the footplate. If a person has tight hamstrings or requires greater knee flexion, this will not be an optimal choice and may create positioning issues for the individual. The potential for caster interference can lead to other choices being made to negate the interference, such as selecting smaller casters or selecting hangers with angles to position the feet further from the casters. Recall from previous Clinical Corner articles that when the load through the casters is decreased, it becomes easier to turn and to maneuver the wheelchair. The caster housing can be in either a leading position or a trailing position. Sunrise Medical asks you to accept cookies to personalize website content and analyze traffic. With respect to hanger angles, sometimes a 60 degree hanger may be chosen to position the feet further from the casters. Sunrise Medical (CA) LLC ("Sunrise") does not provide clinician services. When the caster housing is in a leading position, as compared to the trailing position, the load through the casters is decreased. DISCLAIMER: FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY. Of course, there are other things to consider when choosing between a trailing and a leading caster housing position. If a person can indeed tolerate a 60 degree hanger angle the result of this choice is that the overall turning radius of the wheelchair is increased as the hangers are further from the wheelchair. The position of the caster housing affects the load distribution between the rear wheels and front casters. When an increased percentage of weight is distributed through the front castors, which is what happens when the housing is in a trailing position, rolling resistance may be increased and the wheelchair may be more difficult to propel and to maneuver. These choices also have consequences. The information contained on this website (and the documents referenced herein), including, but not limited to, the text, graphics, images, and descriptions, are for informational purposes only and should be utilized as a general resource for clinicians and suppliers to then use clinical reasoning skills to determine optimal seating and mobility solutions for individual patients. 237 Romina Drive, Unit 3, Concord, ON L4K 4V3, These cookies are enabled by default and are required for basic site functionality. As we have seen, it is not a simple choice when deciding caster housing position. In the below photo, to the left, the caster housing is shown in a trailing, or rearward, position; that is, the caster housing is posterior to the frame of the wheelchair.