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Attending for movement analysis

The physician (e.g. hospital consultant or G.P.) with responsibility for the patient’s management would normally be the person to make a referral. A full 3D clinical gait analysis would normally require prior authorisation from the local health authority or authorisation from insurers if the patient belongs to a healthcare scheme or has other private insurance arrangements.

A referral letter to the lab will state the reason for the referral e.g. a specific clinical question, request for a baseline measure, pre- or post- operative assessment, etc. From this the lab can ensure they acquire the most relevant data.

On arrival at the lab, staff would explain the process in detail, answer any questions and obtain consent.

Assessment would be tailored to the patient’s functional abilities and any specific clinical questions from the referrer. As a guide, clinical gait analysis would typically comprise a number of elements: (1) a clinical examination to assess joint movement range, muscle strength and tone and bone alignment; (2) video recording of the patient’s walking style; (3) motion capture using a 3D system of the patient walking with markers attached to the lower body to provide an accurate measure of the movement pattern.

During the assessment, emphasis is placed on obtaining good quality representative data, which is later collated in a report to the referring physician.

Labs conduct review sessions in which a multidisciplinary team, usually including a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, physiotherapists and clinical scientists, review the patient’s data before the report is finalised. A report containing the gait data, interpretation and recommendations would be compiled and forwarded to the referrer.