Thanks to the partnership between Vicon and third-party gait analysis platform Run3D, grassroots podiatrists are using optical motion capture to help patients out in the community.
South West Podiatry, which runs clinics in and around London, is one of the practices using Run3D software and Vicon cameras to take biomechanic analysis beyond the confines of university labs and elite sporting organizations.
Developed by Oxford University biomechanists, Run3D is a software platform that uses Vicon cameras to analyze walking and running, enabling podiatrists, physiotherapists or clinicians to prevent and treat gait-related injuries.
Take a look at the video below to see how this partnership applies to real-life applications.
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“South West Podiatry predominantly specializes in musculoskeletal pediatric medicine,” explains Liam McManus, Clinical Director at South West Podiatry. “We’ve invested in Run3D software, and as part of Run3D we have these three cameras that come from Vicon. That partnership with Run3D and Vicon gives South West Podiatry the opportunity to offer state-of-the-art 3D data analysis based on 3D motion sensor technology to our clients.”
“What working with Vicon gives us is greater depth to how we can look at the foot, the ankle, the knee, the hips and the pelvis, and how they’re moving in relationship with each other,” says Penny Kay, a podiatrist working at the practice.
The setup is simple and manageable for a common clinical practice – three Vero cameras, a treadmill and a monitor. With this, patients can see their 3D skeleton moving in real-time, receiving feedback on their movement or condition.
How Vicon and Run3D streamline data
“There’s a huge amount of data which is captured in the assessment,” Kay says. “The role of the clinician is really to strip it down and highlight to the patient which bits are important, and then target how they can rehab and improve that patient’s pain.”
The Run3D and Vicon solution also helps South West Podiatry to remove guesswork and variability from its practice. “This technology really does standardize our procedures and processes. It’s invaluable for our patients,” says McManus.
“The feedback that I’ve had for the patients is about the thoroughness of the process. Once they leave they’re saying ‘Wow, you really check everything,’” Kay says.
George Simmonds-Gooding, a patient who has been through the treatment process, is certainly happy with the results that South West Podiatry and Run3D have delivered using their Vicon cameras. “My main hope was just to walk with a more normal gait. This process has literally put a spring back in my step – I can walk more normally again,” he says.
For more information on the Run3D is doing using Vicon technology, visit https://www.run3d.co.uk/
For more information on South West Podiatry in London, visit www.swpodiatry.co.uk