What is Club footWhat is Club foot? Its symptoms and treatment.

What is Club foot? Its symptoms and treatment

Club foot or clubfoot, also known as congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV), is a congenital deformity, which means a deformity that appears at or before one’s birth. In this the hind foot of the infant is in varus, the forefoot is tilted inwards with an equinus of the ankle. The inward tilt of the forefoot is so severe that the bottom of the foot faces sideways or upwards. This deformity can be present in one foot or both, although more than half the cases have it in both the feet. Also, it is present in males twice as much as in females.

Causes

The most commonly accepted theory by most Paediatric Orthopaedics surgeons is that a combination of environmental and genetic factors causes this deformity, although researchers are still not certain about it. In some cases, clubfoot is caused by abnormal positioning of the fetus while it is developing in the womb.

Diagnosis Clubfoot can be diagnosed before birth, during the ultrasound or right after the birth by looking at the child’s feet. There are a number of symptoms that can help diagnose this problem:

 The foot is usually smaller than normal.  The foot may point downward.  The forefoot may be rotated toward the other foot.  The foot is turned in and the bottom of the foot is pointed up.

Treatment Although clubfoot is painless in childhood, it can lead to serious injuries to the foot and spine in older age.

Treatment for clubfoot should begin almost immediately to have the best chance for a successful outcome without the need for surgery. It is also equally important to go to a qualified paediatric orthopaedic surgeon to get the best treatment.

There are three major types of treatments available:

1. French method: it is also called functional or physical therapy method. It is a non-surgical method. Each day, the baby's foot is stretched and manipulated, then taped to maintain the range of motion gained by the manipulation. After taping, a plastic splint is put on over the tape to maintain the improved range of motion.

2.

Ponseti method: It uses stretching and casting to correct the deformity. Steps involve: a.

Manipulation and casting: The baby's foot is stretched and manipulated into a corrected position and held in place with a long-leg cast.

b. Achilles tenotomy: This is to release continued tightness in the Achilles tendon. In this, they use a thin instrument to cut the tendon. Then a new cast is applied to the leg to protect the tendon as it heals. c. Bracing: To ensure that the foot stays in the correct position permanently, the baby needs to wear a brace for a few years. The brace keeps the foot at the proper angle to maintain the correction.

3. Surgery: In severe cases, surgery is the only option to correct the foot. In this a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon goes in and lengthens the muscles and tendons to ease the foot into position. After surgery when the cast is removed, a brace is to be worn to prevent the foot from returning to the old position.

There are paediatric orthopaedic sites like kidsorthopedic.com that can help you further. It contains all the required information from Dr Soumya Paik, paediatric orthopaedic from Kolkata.

Dr. Soumya Paik has done specialized training in Paediatric Orthopaedics at B. J. Wadia Hospital for Children. Then he joined ICH in Kolkata. This site provides parents with information about their child's condition and helps them cope with the difficulties, uncertainties, and stressful situations that accompany surgery. It also provides advice and answers all the queries and questions to help the child be comfortable.