Jacquelin Perry, MD

Jacquelin Perry, MD Jacquelin Perry, MD - - Chief of Pathokinesiology, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, Downey, CA Preparation for her current interest in gait began in college (UCLA). Her major in physical education (1935-1940) introduced her to anatomy and provided a strong background in kinesiology with application to both sports and corrective therapy for the disabled. Part of this experience was her attendance at the Physical Therapy Clinic of the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital...See more

Jacquelin Perry, MD Jacquelin Perry, MD - - Chief of Pathokinesiology, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center, Downey, CA Preparation for her current interest in gait began in college (UCLA). Her major in physical education (1935-1940) introduced her to anatomy and provided a strong background in kinesiology with application to both sports and corrective therapy for the disabled. Part of this experience was her attendance at the Physical Therapy Clinic of the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital where she began her exposure to disability. Subsequently she became a physical therapist (Walter Reed Army Hospital, 1941) which expanded her knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology, and disability. Although her physical therapy experience was in army hospitals during World War II, the clinical exposure was very broad (1941-1945). In addition to working with a regular flow of trauma patients, she spent two years at a center that had army programs for poliomyelitis and rheumatoid arthritis. All three clinical areas involved a great deal of informal observational gait analysis as one sought to improve the patient’s ability to walk. During most of this time she was also an instructor at two of the Army schools of physical therapy (Hot Springs, AR and Denver, CO). There she taught anatomy, kinesiology and therapeutic exercise as well as the modalities. Both normal and disabled gait were strong elements of this program. After the war ended, she used her GI bill to go to medical school (UC San Francisco, 1946-1950) for the specific purpose of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon. This led her to a residency in orthopaedic surgery (UCSF, 1951-1955) during the period when poliomyelitis and reconstructive surgery were strong clinical programs. Observational gait analysis and experience in correcting disabled gait became daily practice. Her next move was in 1955 to join the staff of The Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center where she is currently Chief of Pathokinesiology. In 1955, poliomyelitis was the entire program. Disability of lower limbs, spine, and arms were all major concerns while bracing and reconstructive surgery received equal emphasis. Working with this program further expanded her knowledge of muscle function and gait disability. Also, her experiences in observing polio patients has exposed her to a number of different gait patterns as the type of paralysis resulting from this disease varies from patient to patient. Following the introduction of the Salk vaccine, polio was conquered so Dr. Perry and her colleagues redirected their attention to other types of chronic impairment. This change was the beginning of their intensive rehabilitation program for spinal cord injury, hemiplegia, arthritis, and children’s disorders (primary muscular dystrophy, myelodysplasia, and cerebral palsy). Subsequently, amputees became a part of the program. At first the program was for general rehabilitation. Then as the patient groups became large, they formed separate clinical categories with a ward for each (1961). While continuing the polio spine surgery program, Dr. Perry also developed a stroke unit. Responsibility for persons disabled by a stroke forced her to expand her analysis process as the functional pathology of the hemiplegic is much more complex than that of polio. Because the standard clinical examination findings correlated poorly with the gait dysfunctions, they initiated a system of observational gait analysis. Developed in conjunction with a group of dedicated and knowledgeable physical therapists, the Rancho Los Amigos Observational Gait Analysis System became highly organized. For the first time there was a means of cataloging the... See less