Foot deformities in adolescents and young adults with spina bifida

Spina bifida is generally accompanied by a high incidence of foot deformities. The goal of management is to achieve a plantigrade foot. Deformities are related to the level of the lesion. With thoracic lesions, the most frequent deformity is an equinus lesion (55%), a club foot with mid-lumbar lesion (87%) and a calcaneal foot with sacral lesions (34%). No deformity was present in 56% of feet in sacral lesion children. Club foot surgery before the age of 2 years entails a high rate of recurrence (78%), necessitating redo surgery. A calcaneo-valgus deformity developed in 45% of ambulating patients with sacral lesions requiring operative stabilization of the foot. Patients with sacral lesions were almost the only ones who remained ambulators. Ambulation was not seen to be related to foot deformities in adolescents and young adults.