20 Oct Clubfoot: Nemours Study Evaluates 10-year Follow up of Conservative Treatment
[caption id="attachment_71041" align="alignleft" width="200"] Chris Church[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Chris Church MPT
Director, Gait & Motion Analysis Laboratory
Nemours duPont Hospital for Children
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly describe the condition of clubfoot and arthrogryposis?
Response: Clubfoot is a congenital foot deformity in which the child is born with their foot (or feet) are stiff and in position with the foot pointing down (equinus) and in (inverted). Idiopathic clubfoot is a condition in which these children only have issues with their feet. Arthrogryposis is a condition in which children have contractures in multiple parts of their body. Children with Arthrogryposis often have clubfeet that are tighter and more difficult to treat than the more common idiopathic type.
Idiopathic clubfoot is effectively corrected with a conservative treatment known as the Ponseti method. Recent studies have shown successful short-term correction using Ponseti treatment in the stiffer clubfoot associated with arthrogryposis, but there are few studies analyzing long-term results. This study compares outcomes of the Ponseti method in 10-year-old children with idiopathic clubfoot and clubfoot associated with arthrogryposis.
MedicalResearch.com: Would you describe the Ponseti method? Does it require specialized or complicated training to implement treatment?
Response: Clubfoot was treated with surgery in the past. Now we use a more conservative treatment that is provided by pediatric orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists. The Ponseti method involved serial casting in infancy, Achillies tenotomies, and prolonged use of bracing during sleep until age 5 years.
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ClubfootNemours Image[/caption] [caption id="attachment_71051" align="alignleft" width="300"]
ClubfootNemours Image[/caption]