Gait Lab & Orthopaedics
Best treatment options for children with bone, muscle, and joint conditions.
The Gait Lab & Orthopaedics Group has strong links with the Gait Analysis Laboratory and Orthopaedics Department at The Royal Children’s Hospital.
The Gait Lab team aims to find the best treatment to help children with a wide range of walking disabilities. We use a state-of-the-art 3D motion capture system to better understand walking disabilities. There is a large focus on children with cerebral palsy. The team has two main research areas:
- evaluation of effective orthopaedics treatments, and
- the development of computational models of the human muscle and skeletal system.
The Orthopaedic team aims to find the best treatment options for children with a wide range of orthopaedic conditions. This includes research in the areas of scoliosis, developmental dysplasia of the hip, fractures and limb reconstruction.
More information
Our projects
Developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for video-based motion tracking in infants and children
This research focuses on the development and validation of a digital platform to track movement and predict clinical outcomes in infants and children from video recordings. This tool will be applied in the areas of early identification of cerebral palsy in infants and gait analysis of children with cerebral palsy.
Improving persistent foot drop in children with cerebral palsy
Equinus deformity is common in ambulant children with cerebral palsy. Calf lengthening surgery is effective in correcting the deformity and improving walking. However, for some children, persistent foot drop during swing remains after surgery. This research focuses on identifying factors that predict the likelihood of persistent foot drop after surgery and a new surgical technique to improve foot drop.
Biomechanical models for the future
This project focuses on improvements to the biomechanical model that underpins 3D clinical gait analysis. This involves a series of projects to better personalise the biomechanical model to the individual child and validation of new approaches.
A randomised clinical trial to determine the best method to treat hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy
This study aims to discover if muscle surgery or bone surgery is more successful in improving hip displacement in children with cerebral palsy. Hip displacement refers to the ‘ball’ of the hip moving out of the ‘socket’ and is common in children with cerebral palsy. Changes in the shape of the ball and socket can lead to joint degeneration, loss of function, and pain.
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Collaborations
- University of Melbourne, Department of Biomedical Engineering
- NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Cerebral Palsy
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto Canada
- Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service
Featured publications
- Botulinum Toxin in the Management of Children with Cerebral Palsy (2019)
- More than an X‐ray: Experiences and perspectives of parents of children with cerebral palsy when engaging in hip surveillance (2019)
- Indications for gastrocsoleus lengthening in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy: a Delphi consensus study (2020)
- A Decision Support System to Facilitate Identification of Musculoskeletal Impairments and Propose Recommendations Using Gait Analysis in Children With Cerebral Palsy (2020)
- Enhancing Value and Uptake for Whole-Population Cohorts of Children and Parents: Methods to Integrate Registries into the Generation Victoria Cohort (2021)