F4 (classification)

[2] The location of lesions on different vertebrae tend to be associated with disability levels and functionality issues.

[4] People with a lesion at T6 have an impairment that effects the muscles in their body below the nipple line.

[6] Disabled Sports USA defined the functional definition of this class in 2003 as, "Have no sitting balance.

[7] People with spinal injuries at T6 or higher are more likely to develop Autonomic dysreflexia (AD).

The condition causes over-activity of the autonomic nervous system, and can suddenly onset when people are playing sports.

Some of the symptoms include nausea, high blood pressure, a pounding headache, flushed face, profuse sweating, a lower heart rate or a nasal congestion.

Players in some sports like wheelchair rugby are encouraged to be particularly on guard for AD symptoms.

[11][12] From the 1950s to the early 2000s, wheelchair sport classification was handled International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF).

[18] The International Paralympic Committee manages classification for a number of spinal cord injury and wheelchair sports including alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, ice sledge hockey, powerlifting, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair dance.

The group most likely to try to cheat at classification were wheelchair basketball players with complete spinal cord injuries located at the high thoracic transection of the spine.

[1][2] Field events open to this class have included shot put, discus and javelin.

[12] F4 athletes throw from a seated position, and use a javelin that weighs .6 kilograms (1.3 lb).

[29] The shot put used by women in this class weighs less than the traditional one at 3 kilograms (6.6 lb).

[39] Swimming classification is done based on a total points system, with a variety of functional and medical tests being used as part of a formula to assign a class.

Part of this test involves the Adapted Medical Research Council (MRC) scale.

[40] S5 swimmers with spinal cord injuries tend to be complete paraplegics with lesions below T1 to T8, or incomplete tetraplegics below C8 who have decent trunk control.

Because they have minimal trunk control, their hips tend to be a bit lower in the water and they have leg drag.

This system used some muscle testing to determine which class incomplete paraplegics should be classified in.

Class III for people with lesions at T6-T10 and have fair balance were worth 1 point.

The system was designed to keep out people with less severe spinal cord injuries, and had no medical basis in many cases.

[41] In 1982, wheelchair basketball finally made the move to a functional classification system internationally.

While the traditional medical system of where a spinal cord injury was located could be part of classification, it was only one advisory component.

[6] They may have a minimal impairment in their dominant fencing hand, but otherwise have good sitting balance.

[6] In some sports, such as wheelchair fencing, they may have good sitting balance and some impairment in their dominant hand.

[45] In 1991, the first internationally accepted adaptive rowing classification system was established and put into use.

People in this class do not have more than 70 points for functionality, have normal arm pitch for throwing and use a wheelchair.

[51] One of the standard means of assessing functional classification is the bench test, which is used in swimming, lawn bowls and wheelchair fencing.

[49] During functional and medical classification, a number of tests may be run for people in this class.

For the trunk rotation test, people in this class are expected to have no abdominal function.

The sixth test measures the trunk extension involving the lumbar and dorsal muscles while leaning forward at a 45 degree angle.