Fred Rutan Center for Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
Fred Rutan Center for Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
Fred Rutan Center for Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
Fred Rutan Center for Gait and Motion Analysis Lab
The Gait and Motion Analysis Lab (GMAL) is located in The University of New Mexico (UNM) Health Sciences and Services Building (HSSB) on North Campus.
We are the only full-equipped gait analysis laboratory at UNM designed to facilitate research activities in rehabilitation sciences, especially physical therapy related science and biomechanics.
Since opening in 2012, the 1,038-square foot facility is the only full-equipped motion analysis laboratory in New Mexico.
This facility serves to promote multi-disciplinary scholarly activities at the UNM Health Sciences in order to provide high-quality healthcare to our community.
Since the APTA’s House of Delegates adopted a new vision statement of the physical therapy profession in 2013, skills of recognition and validation of the movement system have been emphasized to improve the human experience thorough physical therapy practice.
Based on this vison, the GMAL promotes varied research activities as well as learning experiences for physical therapy-related science.
Students and faculty who utilize GMAL must adhere to laboratory policy and procedures in order to maintain a safe and effective working environment.
Our facility is also available for collaboration with researchers who seek to quantify measures of movement in order to validate interventions, predict outcomes, or better understand the biomechanics of movement.
(Please note that the GMAL is used for research purposes only, and is not available to PT patients seeking a gait analysis for treatment. Please visit UNM Health for treatment.)
Human movement analysis has been an investigative and diagnostic tool to analyze postural control, gait patterns and sports performance. The GMAL is equipped with a ten-camera Vicon Motion Capture System with Vicon Nexus software (Vicon Motion Systems Ltd) as well as two HD cameras (Vicon Bonita), three AMTI force platforms (AMTI, Inc.), all of which provide comprehensive biomechanical variables such as joint angle and forces during movements.
All human movements are results of muscle activations with countering external forces. Electromyography (EMG) sensors measure the small electrical signals generated from a muscle. The GMAL includes a 16-channel EMG system (14 surface sensors and 2 fine wire sensors: Trigno® Delsys, Inc.) which allow us to identify neuromuscular activities during movements.
Pressure distribution and movement of one's center of gravity plays an important role in controlling posture and balance ability. MatScanTM can measure variable foot pressures related to body weight in order to identify postural controls (Tekscan, Inc.).
The F-scan SystemTMA is a similar device which allows the researcher to capture pressure distribution, force and timing information of a foot during static or dynamic movements, even in a remote environment.
Quantified musculoskeletal force outputs are important for diagnosis and factors in other clinical decision making processes. An isokinetic dynamometer provides information of applied force related to the joint range of motion. The GMAL uses the Biodex System 3 (Biodex Medical Systems, Inc. Shirley NY) to assess muscle force/power outputs in an active collaboration with the Department of Exercise and Science.
The data captured by our lab equipment is used for computational modeling to analyze human movements. Our lab utilizes Vicon Polygon software, Visual 3D (C-motion, Inc. Germantown MD), EMGworks®, and other analysis software (e.g. Matlab, Labview and Microsoft office products) for computational modeling.
For needs of having gait patterns assessed outside of the GMAL, we utilize a portable GaitRite System. GaitRite uses long pressure mats (0.9x7m) with multiple pressure sensors to capture temporal and spatial variables during gait (GAIT4Dog Corp, Franklin NJ). With four digital cameras , our researchers can perform basic clinical gait analysis outside of the GMAL in a portable, controled environment.
Peer Reviewed Publications
Peer Reviewed Scientific and Professional Presentations
In Review
Division of Physical Therapy
MSC09 5230
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Email: HSC-UNMPTProgram@salud.unm.edu
Phone: 505-272-5479
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