Children born with Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy and other muscular problems often have trouble walking. A new lab at Tampa Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's is helping evaluate the treatment needs of these kids with 3D computer technology.

Aubrey Moore of Sefner is as active as any other four year old, despite having Cerebral Palsy. And to keep her on the move, she's visiting the Motion Analysis Center at Tampa Children's Hospital at St. Joseph's. Aubrey currently wears braces on her lower legs (known as Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthoses or DAFO's ) and gets injections of a special medication (Botox) to help her walk and keep her muscles flexible. As she grows her needs may change and her course of treatment might need to be adjusted, too. That's why her Mom wanted a gait analysis evaluation. "I just want to make sure that everything is still right," says Allison Moore, Aubrey's Mom.

Orthopaedic Surgeon Terri Cappello is Medical Director of the program and is based at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa. "We're able to figure out which joints are causing the children a problem and what kind of treatment we can tailor to that child. Because we have a very individual evaluation," says Dr. Cappello.

The cornerstone of the evaluation is a test which begins by placing these adhesive, lightweight balls (known as Opto-reflective silver balls) on Aubrey's legs, so infrared cameras can photograph how she walks and, with the help of metal force plates which she'll walk across on the floor, will turn the picture into a 3-dimensional computer stick-figure image. Physical Therapist Lauren Rosen turns the test into a game which Aubrey seems to enjoy. But the end result may be a new prescription for treatment.

"So we're evaluating if these are the proper braces for her; if a certain kind of therapy or medication might help, or if she might be a candidate or need surgery in the future," says Dr. Cappello.

There are just two such labs in Florida, fewer than 100 in the US dedicated to children. In the future, the lab at Tampa Children's will likely open to adult patients.