A patient with C5 ASIA A SCI is learning to come to sitting from prone on elbows. The patient walks on the elbows toward the lower extremities, allowing the trunk to flex into a C-shaped curve, hooks the arm onto the legs using biceps and wrist extensors, then pushes off the supporting elbow and rocks to upright. What is this technique called?

A patient with C5 ASIA A SCI is learning to come to sitting from prone on elbows. The patient walks on the elbows toward the lower extremities, allowing the trunk to flex into a C-shaped curve, hooks the arm onto the legs using biceps and wrist extensors, then pushes off the supporting elbow and rocks to upright. What is this technique called?

• A. Walking on elbows (C maneuver)
• B. Rolling and throwing arms technique
• C. Straight from supine, hands stabilized technique
• D. Loop ladder technique

Answer: (A)

The technique being described is the C maneuver, a transfer from prone on elbows to sitting that emphasizes forming a C-shaped curve with the trunk and using the arms anchored on the legs to generate leverage. By walking on the elbows toward the feet, the trunk naturally flexes into a curved, C-position. The arms hook over the legs using the biceps and wrist extensors to secure a hold, then a push from the supporting elbow plus a rocking motion brings the person upright. This sequence is particularly useful when trunk control is limited, such as with a C5 injury, because it uses the momentum created by the curved spine and the arm-to-leg hook to shift weight upward rather than relying on strong trunk extension. Other named techniques don’t describe this distinctive arc and arm-to-leg anchoring pattern, so they don’t fit as well.

The technique being described is the C maneuver, a transfer from prone on elbows to sitting that emphasizes forming a C-shaped curve with the trunk and using the arms anchored on the legs to generate leverage. By walking on the elbows toward the feet, the trunk naturally flexes into a curved, C-position. The arms hook over the legs using the biceps and wrist extensors to secure a hold, then a push from the supporting elbow plus a rocking motion brings the person upright. This sequence is particularly useful when trunk control is limited, such as with a C5 injury, because it uses the momentum created by the curved spine and the arm-to-leg hook to shift weight upward rather than relying on strong trunk extension. Other named techniques don’t describe this distinctive arc and arm-to-leg anchoring pattern, so they don’t fit as well.