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Applying Modeled Hemi-Ellipsoids To The Study Of Pressure Distribution In Normal And Paraplegic Seated Subjects, Alicia Billington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The three goals of this research were to investigate how normal subjects move while seated, how paraplegic patients move while seated, and whether seated movements can be modeled using a hemi-ellipsoid shape. Pressure readings were recorded at 11 Hz using a 36 by 36 sensor pressure map by XSENSOR. Subjects were instructed to move or perform pressure relief as they normally would while seated. Analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel with Solver and Matrix.xla add-ins and automated with VBA code. Major movements and time intervals between movements were calculated by locating the area of maximum pressure on each hemi-buttock for …