All clubfeet are not the same. There are four types of clubfoot.
1. Idiopathic Clubfoot: This is the most common type of clubfoot. When clubfoot is the only defect in the child, it is called idiopathic clubfoot. The Ponseti method practiced correctly can correct any idiopathic clubfoot without complication. Idiopathic clubfoot is visible by ultrasound at 16 weeks of pregnancy.
2. Syndromic Clubfoot: The word ‘drome’ refers to home. As aerodrome refers to home to aeroplanes, syndrome refers to home to many symptoms. Syndromic clubfoot refers to several symptoms including clubfoot in a child. So when a child is born with several birth deformities including clubfoot, it is called syndromic clubfoot. Other deformities may include cleft lip, congenital amputation, and rarely cerebral palsy.
3. Neuropathic Clubfoot: When a child has a clubfoot and also neurological defects like spina bifida it is called neuropathic clubfoot.
4. Postural Clubfoot: This is a very mild clubfoot. The cause of postural clubfoot could be the position of the foot in the mother’s womb. The proof for postural clubfoot is that the posterior crease will be very visible in such a clubfoot. This type of clubfoot is corrected with a couple of weekly plaster casts. A tenotomy is not required because the rigidity of the equines is not present in this type and short-term bracing is advised.
Site by NWD.