Facilities and Equipment

Quantitative movement analysis is useful in identifying the underlying causes for movement abnormalities in pathologic patient groups such as in patients with knee osteoarthritis or cerebral palsy. The results of the motion capture system have been shown to be useful in determining the best course of treatment in these types of patient populations. Patients and controls participate in a 3 dimensional biomechanical movement analysis to evaluate initial differences in variables between pathologic and healthy controls. This work helps to determine if surgery and physical therapy improve these movement parameters over time, and to what extent.

The standard GAITRite electronic walkway provides a simple way to obtain valid, reliable, and objective spatiotemporal measures of gait, in real-time. As a patient ambulates across the walkway, the software records pressure data, capturing the geometry and relative arrangement of each footfall as a function of time and space. This software provides various spatiotemporal gait parameters such as gait velocity, stride length, step length, cadence, single/double support time, and much more! The walkway is portable and requires minimal setup and test time, making it very useful for a quick gait analysis in either the lab, classroom or even clinical setting.

Electromyography (EMG), is described as an experimental technique describing the neuromuscular activation of muscles within postural tasks, functional movements, work conditions and treatment/training regimes. A variety of disciplines use EMG to provide insights into how we perform movement which include: biomechanists, physical therapist, clinicians, and strength coaches. Participants perform movement tasks while neuromuscular activity is recorded. This work provides us with the basic knowledge of how motor units are recruited in certain musculature for a given movement task. The completely wireless EMG equipment is used to measure the activation of individual muscles, but also has accelerometry capabilities. These data can be used in combination with the camera and force plate data to account for muscle co-contraction (agonist and antagonist muscles activated simultaneously).

A hand-held digital dynamometer is used in both research and clinical evaluation to accurately measure and document musculoskeletal strength. Depending on the scope of the research study or clinical assessment, the hand-held dynamometer can be placed at specific anatomical locations of the lower extremities (hip, knee, ankle), upper extremities (shoulder, elbow, hip) and/or cervical and lumbar spine. Force provided by individual muscle groups can then be assessed during flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, internal/external rotation, and plantarflexion/dorsiflexion motions.

A virtual reality system uses a green screen to allow children to see themselves immersed in a video game to reduce discomfort and increase compliance during rehabilitation.

The Novel pressure measurement system captures dynamic in-shoe pressures as well as pressures as measured on a mat revealing, interaction between foot and footwear or body and appliance. Applications for a plantar pressure system include: screen for disorders secondary to diabetes or other neuropathic issues, observe movement disabilities, and regulate weight bearing after surgery. Other applications involve tissue pressures while sitting, standing, rolling or performing other functional activities.

A NeuroCom Balance Manager System is used to evaluate the contributions of the vestibular, visual, and proprioceptive systems on balance control. This software includes standardized tests of sensory organization, limits of stability and more! Additional force plate equipment allows for interactive, functional training exercises using visual biofeedback, coupled with sensitive, real-time monitoring of movement. These assessments and training protocols help to motivate patients or research participants to achieve greater balance control faster.