Author Interviews, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, PT-Rehabilitation / 20.10.2025
Clubfoot: Nemours Study Evaluates 10-year Follow up of Conservative Treatment
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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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Clubfoot
Nemours Image[/caption] [caption id="attachment_71051" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Clubfoot
Nemours Image[/caption]
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"]
Nemours Image[/caption]
Dr. Jiyoung Ahn[/caption]
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Jiyoung Ahn, PhD
Dr. King[/caption]
Brett King, MD, PHD
Dr. King was named an American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) “Patient Care Hero”
for his work treating patients with severe alopecia areata
Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut
Fairfield, Connecticut
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly explain the condition of Alopecia Areata?
Response: Alopecia Areata (AA), an autoimmune form of hair loss, is common and its treatment has been revolutionized in the past ~3 years with approvals of 3 JAK inhibitors, bariticinib, ritlecitinib and deuruxolitinib. Prior to these approvals, off label treatments included the JAK inhibitors tofacitinib and ruxolitinib.
Dr. Casale[/caption]
Thomas B. Casale, M.D.
Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Chief of Clinical and Translational Research
Division of Allergy and Immunology
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The data leading to FDA approval of neffy came from extensive pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies. As with previous epinephrine delivery devices, the FDA asked for data showing that after delivery of neffy the epinephrine blood levels and expected changes in pulse and blood pressure were similar to those achieved with injectable formulations of epinephrine. neffy performed as expected with blood levels of epinephrine bracketed by those achieved with EpiPen and a needle and syringe along with increases in pulse and blood pressure compatible with the epinephrine levels measured.
Additionally, clinicians are interested in whether neffy would perform similarly in real clinical situations. The data from the neffy experience program provides real-world assurance that neffy can effectively treat acute allergic reactions. Given the large number of patients and the similar findings to those achieved with injectable epinephrine in previous studies, the data should provide assurance that neffy can be an effective substitute for injectable epinephrine in patients that desire a needle-free option.
Dr. Donofry[/caption]
Shannon D. Donofry Ph.D.
Behavioral Scientist
B.A.Sc. in psychology/neuroscience
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus;
Ph.D, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
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Dr. Rancaño[/caption]
Katherine M. Rancaño, Ph.D
Associate Policy Researcher
RAND
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: GLP-1 medications were first used to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar. Lately, they’ve become popular for helping people lose weight, too. Because of this, a lot more people have started using them. In our study, we asked over 8,000 adults from across the country about their use of GLP-1 medications and any side effects they had.
L. Levi[/caption]
Liran Levi, PhD student
Faculty of Medicine at Hebrew University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Motivated behavior is driven by a group of brain regions called collectively the reward system. This neural system is at the heart of every decision we make about our actions - it integrates information about the world and decides whether to perform a behavior or not based on the predicted reward/benefit. The key molecule in this process is dopamine - whenever we perform a behavior that provides a reward dopamine is released in the reward system and reinforces this behavior. Drugs of abuse exploit this system - they cause abnormally high levels of dopamine, and thus force the reward system to seek drugs constantly, even after prolonged withdrawal. From a neurobiological perspective, that is how we view substance dependence - the reward system drives people to seek for the reward.