Using Cool Technology To Improve Mobility
T
he Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement at Nationwide Children’s Hospital helps kids and adults walk and move better. A seemingly simple statement to explain how a team of medical experts uses state of the art computer technology and physical assessment to present patients with in depth information about their movement and offer options for treatment. Analysis using 3D motion capture—the same technology used to make video games and movie special effects - is used to understand how children with orthopedic and neurological conditions move and how we can better treat them. MoCap, as it is frequently referred to in the movie and video game industry, uses high-speed cameras, special force-sensing plates in the floor, and computers to track the 3D movement of the head, arms, legs, and feet as kids walk, squat, bend, and run. Patients are referred to the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement to undergo analysis using this technology to understand how they are moving in three dimensions. It is part of a comprehensive evaluation which includes a clinical assessment with a physical therapist, mapping of the pressure under the patient’s foot while they walk, and their dynamic muscle activity. Then a team, comprised of physical therapists, physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors and orthopedic surgeons provide recommendations for treatment to enhance function and mobility. A wide range of clinical service areas might be part of a patient’s individualized care plan and team when developing the best plan for improving a patient’s mobility.
6 | N C H F O U N DAT I O N Newsletter 2023