Developing a rigid frame wheelchair in Brazil.

Purpose: Describing the development process of a rigid frame wheelchair using user-centered and open innovation approaches, as envisaged by the WHO Wheelchair Guidelines.

Methods: Unstructured interviews and group discussions with conveniently sampled active wheelchair users oriented the initial brief, product design and selection. The initially approved prototype was subject to ISO 7176 tests, leading to further product adjustments.

Lucy Montoro Rehabilitation Network mobile unit: an alternative public healthcare policy.

Purpose: The aim is to analyze rehabilitation services provided by a mobile rehabilitation clinic (MU) in nine regions of the State of São Paulo, demonstrating the distribution of orthoses, prostheses and other mobility aids for persons with physical disabilities according to age groups and impairments, as well as the number of persons with physical disabilities as estimated by Brazilian official data sources.

Method: The number of persons with disabilities in each region was obtained through estimations from the 2010 Brazilian IBGE Census. The number of assistive technologies suppliers and technicians were provided by the Brazilian Technical Orthopedics Association (ABOTEC).

Effects of low frequency functional electrical stimulation with 15 and 50 Hz on muscle strength in heart failure patients.

Purpose: To compare the acute effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) with 15 and 50 Hertz (Hz) frequencies on muscle strength in patients with heart failure with healthy individuals.

Methods: Twenty-two 61.6 ± 1.