Publication:

Treatment of idiopathic clubfoot by Ponseti method: a prospective evaluation

Background From long time clubfoot has been a clinical challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. It is one of the commonest congenital deformity of the musculoskeletal system in children. Each year more than 1,00,000 babies are born with congenital clubfoot. 80% of which occur in developing countries.

Methods 60 feet in 40 children were treated by the Ponseti method from September 2014 to august 2016. Prospective follow up for a mean duration of 18 months was undertaken. The deformity was evaluated by Pirani score before and after the treatment. At the end of treatment all feet were functionally classified into good, fair and poor.

Results The average number of casts applied before full correction was 8. 21.66% of the feets needed tenotomy before full correction. 90% of the patients showed good results, 3.3% had fair results and 6.6% of patients had poor results. There was a significant difference in the pre-treatment and post-treatment pirani score values.

Conclusions Ponseti method of manipulation and plaster casting is very effective to correct club foot deformity.