A few months ago, Chris Spinelli tore his ACL in a soccer game. Dr. Mike Maloney says surgery could get him back to near-normal, but healthcare reform may change whether it's covered by insurance.
 
"There's a huge challenge that a lot of the procedures we do have not gone through that rigor and therefore, third party payers may say, 'we're not going to pay for them anymore,'" says Dr. Maloney.
 
Doctors will soon need to prove the knee surgery helps, that's where the gait-rite system comes in. This 26-foot carpet contains sensors to assess gait after injury and again after surgery. It also identifies those who are not recovering well. While the carpet is good for patients, the system is really a way to curb potential problems with insurance when the new healthcare laws go into effect.
 
The surgery worked for Chris, but without insurance he says there is no way he would have been able to have it. He hopes this research will help people in the same situation going forward.