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Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
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Talipes Equinovarus / Clubfoot



- Discussion:
    - congenital clubfoot is a structural foot deformity that is present at birth;
    - there is in utero malalignment of the talocalcaneal, talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints;
    - articular malalignments are fixed by contracted joint capsules, ligaments, and contracted foot and ankle tendons;
    - may be bilateral in up to 50%;
    - occurs in about 1 out of 800 births;
    - more common in males than females;
    - pathoanatomy:
    - genetic tendency;
            - if both parents are normal w/ affected child, risk of next child having clubfoot is 2-5%;
            - w/ one affected parent and one affected child, then risk of next child having clubfoot is about 10-25%;
            - in some syndromes such as diastrophic dwarfism, there is autosomal recessive inheritance;
            - references:
                  - Family studies and the course of congenital clubfoot, talipes equinovarus, talipes calcaneovalgus, and metatarsus varus.
                          Wynne-Davies R:   J Bone Joint Surg Br 46B:445, 1954
                  - The Genetics of Idiopathic Clubfoot. Fred Dietz, M. CORR 2002;2002:39-48
    - diff dx:
            - myotonic muscular dystrophy
            - arthrogryposis multiplex congenita
            - myelomeningocele club foot
            - poliomyelitis
            - cerebral palsy
            - peroneal type of progressive muscle atrophy;


- Radiographic Assessment of Club Foot



- Treatment Options
    - clubfoot casting:
    - surgical options:
            - circumferential release: "cincinati incision"
            - Goldner four quadrant approach:
            - medial release
            - posterior release
            - posteromedial release
            - tendon transfers
            - salvage procedures:
                  - combined soft-tissue and bone procedures;
                  - arthrodesis / osteotomy: (triple arthrodesis)
                  - forefoot adduction deformity:
                          - in the report by AF Lourenco MD et al, the author performed a closing wedge osteotomy
                                  of the cuboid and opening wedge osteotomy of the medial cuneiform in 39 feet;
                          - clinical and radiographic improvement was seen in all patients, and no complications were seen;
                          - surgery is advocated in children older than age 4, or when the medial cuneiform ossific nucleus is well developed;
                          - ref: Treatment of Residual Adduction Deformity in Clubfoot: The Double Osteotomy.
                                  AF. Lourenco, M.D. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics 2001;21:713-718
            - talectomy:
                  - in the report by J. Legaspi. et al, the authors reviewed 24 feet in 15 patients who had undergone talectomy for recurrent equinovarus deformity;
                  - 21 were associated with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, two with myelomeningocele and one with idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus;
                  - good results were achieved in eight feet (33%) in which further surgery was not needed and   walking was painless;
                  - a fair result was obtained in ten feet (42%) in which further surgery for recurrence of a hindfoot deformity had been
                          necessary but walking was painless;
                  - remaining six feet (25%) were poor, with pain on walking;
                  - all patients wore normal shoes and could walk independently, except one who was wheelchair bound because of other joint problems.
                  - recurrent deformity, the development of tibiocalcaneal arthritis and spontaneous fusion of the   tibia to the calcaneum were all seen in these patients;
                  - ref: Talectomy in patients with recurrent deformity in club foot. A long term followup study.
                            J. Legaspi.   J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 2001;83-B






Clubfoot References

Current management of idiopathic clubfoot questionnaire: a multicentric study.

































Original Text by Clifford R. Wheeless, III, MD.