The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of wheelchair ambulation by

the paraplegics in the community. Energy expenditure was evaluated in the individuals with paraplegia during quiet sitting in a personal wheelchair, and during wheelchair propulsion on level surface and 5 degree ramp by measuring speed, heart rate, oxygen rate and oxygen cost.

Twenty traumatic paraplegic men for longer than one year and 16 able-bodied men participated in this study. The paraplegic group showed increased heart rate and oxygen rate at rest(P<0.05), increased propelling speed on level surface with out increased energy expenditure and increased heart rate and oxygen rate during wheelchair propelling up on 5 degree ramp(p<0.05) compared to the control group.

With the results above, wheelchair is thought to be an energy efficient method of mobility for the paraplegics on the level surface. However, more attention needs to be paid to the increased metabolic demand on the surfaces which are not level.