Treatment of congenital clubfoot using Ponseti method☆

OBJECTIVE To quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the results from treatment of congenital clubfoot with a mean follow-up of 4.6 years. METHODS 26 patients who underwent treatment by means of the Ponseti method were analyzed (total of 39 feet). The mean age at the start of the treatment was 5.65 months. The mean length of the follow-up subsequent to tenotomy of the Achilles tendon was 4.6 years. Patients with secondary clubfoot were excluded. Epidemiological data, radiographic measurements on the Kite angle and data from a satisfaction questionnaire and the Laaveg questionnaire were analyzed. RESULTS Among the 26 patients treated, one presented recurrence of the deformity and had to return to the beginning of the treatment. The mean score from the questionnaire and physical examination was 89.76 points, and this result was considered good. 99% of the patients responded that their feet never hurt or hurt only upon great activity; 88% said that their feet did not limit their activities; and 96% said that they were very satisfied or satisfied with the results from the treatment. The mean Kite angle in anteroposterior view was 28.14° and it was 26.11° in lateral view. CONCLUSION Treatment for idiopathic congenital clubfoot by means of the Ponseti method brings better results together with less soft-tissue injury, thus confirming the effectiveness and good reproducibility of this method.