Clubfoot
 Talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) is a congenital
birth defect affecting the foot and the lower
limb. The incidence is 1-3 per 1,000 live births
with 65% of those affected being male. 30-40%
of cases involve both feet. The etiology is multifactorial
and there are many unproven theories:
abnormal intrauterine forces, abnormal amount
of amniotic fluid, arrested fetal development,
abnormal muscle and tendon insertions, and other
pathological conditions.
Clubfoot refers to the position of the foot.
A true clubfoot always requires treatment. As
with all conditions, clubfeet vary in their severity.
 The initial treatment may involve casts to gradually
correct the foot. There are a variety of casting
techniques including the Kite and Ponsetti methods.
Casts are changed at frequent intervals when the
child is young in order to gain correction. It
generally takes 8-12 weeks of cast treatment to
correct a foot. Various types of braces may be
advised after the foot is corrected with casts
to attempt to keep the clubfoot from recurring.
If the foot is not corrected and/or is not showing
signs of improvement, surgery is advised. Surgery
is generally done when the child is approximately
six months of age. The percentage of children
who can be successfully treated with repeated
casting is about 40-50%. There are, however, some
feet which your doctor may recognize at birth,
or shortly thereafter, as having the characteristics
of a severe clubfoot and may recommend surgery early
in the treatment course.
Other considerations:
A clubfoot deformity may be seen with other conditions.
When your doctor sees your child, a number of other
causes will be considered. Neurological diseases,
chromosomal disorders, and abnormal constriction
bands on the leg are a few of the other conditions
which can cause a child’s foot to be in
the club position. These other conditions almost
always require surgery for successful correction.
More information:
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