The Ponseti method is a safe and effective treatment for congenital clubfoot, and radically decreases the need for extensive corrective surgery. But a group of patients will still present with under corrected residual equinovarus deformities despite the proper use of the Ponseti method. About 25% of operated clubfeet will develop recurrence or show a marked residual deformity (recurrent clubfoo...

We are currently in the process of discovering that many, if not the majority, of the non-traumatic acquired adult foot and ankle problems are caused by a singular etiology: non-neuromuscular equinus or the isolated gastrocnemius contracture. There is no question that this biomechanical association exists and in time much more will be uncovered. There are three basic questions that must be answ...

BACKGROUND Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), one of the most common hereditary neurologic disorders, often results in debilitating cavovarus foot deformities. The deformities are still not fully understood, and the treatment recommendations are consequently heterogeneous, often including calf muscle or Achilles tendon lengthening. METHODS We examined 40 patients (80 feet) with CMT and bilate...

Neonatal, poikilocytic anaemia in some members of the Hippotragini has previously been documented but not fully investigated. This study was undertaken to describe the erythrocyte morphology of roan antelopes (Hippotragus equinus) during the first 4 weeks after birth and to identify aspects of haemoglobin (Hb) production that might be implicated in this syndrome. Twenty-nine roan antelope calve...

To achieve more objective and repeatable measurements of equinus contracture, we developed the equinometer, a device that allows the measurement of ankle range of motion under controlled torque conditions. This study assessed its accuracy across different subjects and examiners. Two examiners used the equinometer to measure the angle of ankle dorsiflexion at 15 N x m torque on five subjects. Ac...

The painful pes planovalgus foot type includes a range of deformities. Causes for the symptomatic pes valgus deformity include posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, subluxation of the talus, triceps surae or isolated gastrocnemius equinus, traumatic tendon rupture, ligament laxity, and various neuromuscular imbalances. Detailed discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the symptomatic pes plan...

This study was to report the comparison of outcomes between Ilizarov ring fixator (IRF) and Taylor Spatial Frame® (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tenn.; TSF) in terms of the effectiveness of ankle-foot deformities correction, follow-up results, and complications. Fourteen patients with ankle-foot deformities were corrected using circular external fixation (IRF group = 7 patients; TSF group = 7 patien...