Getting Kids Moving

In the past, assessing a child’s movement was based on simple observation. However, the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis (Gait Lab) at Children's Hospital Colorado utilizes advanced technologies to measure movement and determine proper treatment for gait and movement disorders.

“We videotape patients from the front and side simultaneously and couple this with computerized digital motion capture,” said Frank Chang, MD, Co-Medical Director of the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Rehabilitation Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, and Children’s Miracle Network / Helppie Family Chair in Orthopedic Movement Analysis. “We know how a child should look while walking at any age, and we compare that knowledge to the digital camera video and a computerized model of the child to determine if he or she is moving abnormally.”

In addition to the high-definition video and computerized digital motion capture system that tracks a child’s movements, technology at the Gait Lab also allows physicians to analyze electrical activity in the muscles.

“We place electrodes on the skin over specific muscles, and the data tells us whether or not the muscles are firing properly,” Dr. Chang said. “The results allow us to understand what muscles are doing at any given time.”

Your Child’s Movement

If you’re concerned about your child’s movement, he or she will first be screened to determine whether or not a full gait analysis is necessary.

“The majority of children without congenital deformities or neurologic conditions like spina bifida and cerebral palsy don’t need a full gait analysis,” said Dr. Chang. “But we’re happy to assist parents who want to know what’s going on with their child’s movement and intervene, if necessary.”

For more information, please call (720) 777-5805 or visit www.childrenscolorado.org, click “Conditions We Treat” and then select “Gait & Movement.”