The ways this technology can be useful to doctors and their patients are many and varied. The colour-coded graphics make it much easier to see things like gait asymmetries and major stress points, but also explain them in detail to the patient. Translating this information is crucial because it gives the patient enough insight into the problem to make a well-informed decision about therapy or corrective devices, or change personal habits that relate to the problem.
Comparing before and after images makes it easy to test the effectiveness of treatment. If a particular brace or other type of footwear is required, imaging the patient’s gait before and after the application of the orthotic will make it abundantly clear what effect it is having. It can also allow the doctor and patient to test out different options within the clinic, and gain a positive understanding of the effect of each of them. In the case of longer-term treatments, a series of motion-capture snapshots can show progress over time, offering a way of measuring and understanding the effects of such treatment.