Conservative Treatment in Clubfoot Deformity

Treatment of the congenital clubfoot (CCF) starts its development in the early 20 century and is still continuing today. Surgical techniques provide functional and radiographic data, but the subsequent later data of poor function and recurrence of deformity gave grounds the overall therapeutic process to be reconsidered in the middle of the last century. There are two methods that are generally accepted as proved to be effective in clubfoot treatment. In 1939 Kite introduced a method to correct the clubfoot by using a series of plaster casts. Two decades later his follower – Ignasio Ponseti. (1968) modified the method, developed and completed it. Regardless of literature evidence on significantly better results after the Ponseti treatment, Kite’s method is still popular and used in some isolated countries in the world. Knowledge of both methods as stages in the development of theory and practice in the correction of the congenital clubfoot along with modern understanding of the etiology and in particular of the pathobiomechanics of the condition, create a positive outlook for improvement in the prognosis and treatment outcomes of this disease. Level of evidence: Second Level, systematic overview.