How Clubfoot Treatment Works
Clubfoot is a deformity present at birth that twists the foot downward and inward, making walking difficult or impossible. While it cannot be prevented, it can be corrected using a relatively inexpensive treatment process called the Ponseti method. Here’s how it works…
Step 1: Treatment Phase
The initial process involves weekly casting for four to eight weeks and, in most cases, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to lengthen the Achilles tendon.
With each weekly cast, the feet are gently manipulated into the correct position.
The mom in this photo is removing the weekly cast using warm water to soften the plaster of Paris.
Step 2: Maintenance Phase
After the casting process is complete, the feet are in their proper position. But those feet are stubborn. They want to go back into their twisted condition. To prevent this from happening, the child will wear a foot abduction brace for 23 hours for three months, and then at night and nap time until the age of five.
Children born with clubfoot can take their first steps on completely straight feet thanks to early intervention and to this relatively simple, cost-effective treatment method.
