“State-of-the-art” is a phrase likely found on the “auto-correct” function of every cell phone at The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI).
And the phrase gets plenty of use now with the recent unveiling of the new BioMotion Laboratory at the Steadman headquarters in Vail, Colorado.
“In keeping with Dr. [Richard] Steadman’s pledge when he started this clinic many years ago, we remain tasked to get people back to doing what they love as soon and as efficiently as possible,” said Dr. Scott Tashman, Director of Biomedical Engineering at SPRI.
“Most tools that physicians and clinicians have used for measuring healing were based on X-rays, MRIs or an examination in a doctor’s office,” said Tashman. “If you really want to know how well an injured joint has healed, then you need to look at it when it is in motion, doing something that it normally does. Like a basketball player jumping, or a soccer player kicking, or skiers bending their knees while going down the slope.”
The Biomotion Lab at SPRI combines multiple methods – via video motion cameras, wearable sensory devices, and advanced X-ray imaging – in order to get a clearer and more accurate look at how injuries are healing. The “dynamic stereo X-ray” system can capture pictures in one millisecond and give doctors an extremely accurate look at a repaired joint or ligament doing what they are supposed to be doing.
“It’s not just the state-of-the-art equipment that makes our lab so unique,” added Tashman. “It is the dedicated collaboration of our engineering team and the world-class Steadman Clinic orthopedic surgeons that make our program one that simply is not replicated anywhere else.”
