Club Foot Monday
EXCLUSIVE Club Foot OPD
Every Monday l 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Cure club foot under one roof with our expertise.
Total duration of whole treatment 4-6 weeks only.
What is Clubfoot?
Clubfoot, also known as talipes equinovarus, is a foot deformitythat can affect one or both feet. It occurs in about one in every 1,000 live births and affects boys twice as often as girls. Fifty percent of clubfoot cases affect both feet.
How clubfoot identified ?
Many clubfeet are diagnosed prenatally based on ultrasound. By 24 week gestation, about 80% of clubfeet can be diagnosed. There is approximately a 20% false positive rate based on ultrasound diagnosis, meaning it sometimes appears that a clubfoot is present, when it is not. At the time of birth, clubfoot is diagnosed by physical examination, with the finding of a foot which is in a fixed position, with the foot pointing downward and inward and the inability to bring the foot back into normal position. X-ray, although rarely used, can confirm the diagnosis.
How is clubfoot treated ?
The most frequently utilized treatment just after birth is ponseti technique. in this technique every weekly basis corrective casting is apply. Following this period of corrective casting (typically 4-8 casts), a heel cord tenotomy is often done to correct the aspects of the deformity that can not be fixed through manipulation and casting. After the tenotomy a cast is placed for 2-3 weeks, then the patient is started on a program of bracing, using a bar and shoe apperatus (see photo.). Bracing is full time, 22-23 hours per day, for the first 3 months. from this point, bracing continues during night-time and nap-time until the age of four years old Adherence to the bracing program is essential to minimize the risk of a residual deformity. Physical therapy may also be utilized.
Alternative method of treatment include more extensive surgical management, this is required in approximately 10% of clubfoot cases, and involves tendon and capsular releases of the bones in the feet. The more severe the foot deformity, the more likely surgical treatment will be required. Tendon transfers and ostcotomies are occasionally needed for residual deformity. typically around the age of 3-4 years, even if casting is initially successful.
What is the expected outcome of treatment ?
Most children with clubfoot deformity are successfully treated with one of the above techniques, leading to a child who will wear normal shoes, perhaps have some residual weakness but be quite active and very functional. Clubfoot deformities associated with underlying neuromuscular conditions, the outcome is more guarded.
