The original concept behind introducing High Speed digital video gait analysis to our practice was driven by our desire to better explain/demonstrate our clinical findings to our patients regarding their biomechanical anomalies and how this impacts how they walk. Very often attempting to describe normal gait or foot function can prove difficult, and the ability to visualize removes any barriers to making informed decisions.

Very quickly after its introduction in March 2012 not only were we overwhelmed with the positive response from our patients regarding their ability to now, dynamically visualize their foot function, but we as clinical specialists realized that this new tool could enhance our diagnostic abilities.

Viewing biomechanical abnormalities during gait with, even the trained eye of a clinical specialist has never been an easy task. The PediGait systems we have installed in both our Brantford and Mississauga locations make this task much easier by enabling our specialists to record a subject from 4 simultaneous high speed digital cameras. Afterwards, the file can be reviewed frame by frame or at slow speed and enables medical consultation. Coupled with this is the ability to apply overlying grids to the images, place landmarks, and make side by side comparisons of same subjects allowing before and after comparisons.

In treating children with structural and functional gait conditions this has enabled us to monitor progress over the course of years of growth. With the ability to review results we can make modifications to existing orthotic prescriptions, demonstrate the advantages of certain footwear, choose and recommend certain surgical procedures.

In our activities as educators to both patients and professionals this has proven one of the most valuable tools in our arsenal. Nothing else comes close to helping us communicate the intricacies of human gait, normal and abnormal.