Quantitative motion assessment includes specialty models for the distal extremities (foot and ankle, upper extremity, hand and wrist, trunk) sports applications and higher speed analysis capability, and rehabilitation (assistive devices, prosthetics and orthotics.) Educational support through clinical training and research project participation is provided for research fellows, orthopaedic residents, medical students and engineering students. Numerous technical development projects are supported through close collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Marquette University. The center also collaborates with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Hospital, and other institutions (MSOE, UWM and CUW).
Research applications include studies of surgical interventions, orthotic and prosthetic treatments, and therapy upon upper and lower extremity motion and control.
Motion analysis provides a frame-by-frame analysis of the three-dimensional joint motion, limb kinematics, kinetics, and muscular activity. While changes from activity patterns of age-matched normals are used to formulate a clinical treatment plan, research studies of pathological motion and muscular control patterns are designed to increase our understanding and ultimately our ability to improve future diagnosis, treatment and injury prevention.