Correcting Clubfoot Using The Non-surgical Ponseti Method

Correcting Clubfoot Using The Non-surgical Ponseti Method

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If your baby has been born with a clubfoot, do not worry. Theres a relatively simple, non-surgical way to correct your childs clubfoot by gentle manipulation of the feet followed by applying plaster casts. This is called the Ponseti Method, named for Dr. Ignacio Ponseti.

A clubfoot is a birth defect that turns a babys feet inwards. Were the child to grow up with clubfoot, he or she would appear to be walking on his or her ankles.

Traditionally most babies underwent aggressive foot and ankle surgeries to correct deformed feet. This resulted in unfavorable results since surgeries left bad scars and the function of the foot was compromised as a result.

Dr Ponseti, a physician an orthopedic faculty member at the University of Iowa studied the anatomy and functions of a babys foot and ankle over the years, eventually developing his Ponseti Method over 50 years ago.

Begun in the first week of two of your childs life, the method begins with gentle manipulation each week of the tissues forming your childs ligaments joint capsules and tendons. Treatment also entails placing a plaster cast after each session to help retain the degree of correction. In this way your babys bones gradually are brought to their correct alignment.

The casts extend from your infants toes to her upper thighs. Her knees will be placed at a right angle (facing outward). Clubfoot should be corrected with just five to seven weeks of manipulation and the placement of the plaster casts. Even very stiff feet should need nor more than eight or nine weeks of treatment.

The Ponseti Method does include the minor tenotomy procedure, known as a tenotomy, performed under local anesthesia, in which the childs Achilles tendon is clipped (released). This is done before applying the last plaster cast. Your baby will wear this final cast for three weeks. You should see your babys clubfoot completely gone in about two months.

At this point the baby is put in a brace called the Dennis Brown Bar. This a bar with two shoes attached to it. This brace will keep the position of the foot in the correct alignment. The child wears this almost all the time until he or she is walking. When the child starts walking the brace is worn only during naps and in bed at night. nap time and nighttime. The child will stop wearing the bar at or around the age of two.

These steps need to be followed to prevent the risk of relapse.

The Ponseti Method is unique. Physicians performing this treatment are trained by Dr. Ponseti himself or another physician who was trained by Dr. Ponseti. There are various techniques to treat clubfoot, which also involves serial casting, but they are not to be confused with the Ponseti Method.

Clubfoot treated with the Ponseti Method is practically guaranteed to be fixed, so long as all protocols are followed precisely.

I spent a year with Dr. John Herzenberg, one of the leading authorities outside Iowa in this technique. I also was fortunate to have visited Dr. Ponseti during my Fellowship in Baltimore. Dr. Ponseti was in his 90s at the time and was still practicing in Iowa. It was amazing to see him cast babies at his age.

Dr. Ponseti passed away in October 2009 and he is greatly missed. Yet his genius lives on in the active children (and many adults) who have benefited from the Ponseti Method.


Copyright (c) 2009 Dr Alireza Khosroabady DPM

About the Author:
Dr. Alireza Khosroabady is a Fellowship trained foot & ankle surgeon. He did his Surgical training in NY and his fellowship at the Rubin institute for Advanced Orthopedics/International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore with world renowned Orthopedic Surgeons. He is practicing in LA, CA . More information @ http://www.fixmyfoot.com you can also request his free book.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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