[Congenital abnormalities of the foot (author's transl)]

As with cases of hip-joint dysplasia, the sooner treatment of congenital abnormalities of the foot (hook feet, flat feet, sickle feet, club feet) is begun the better. In most cases the initial impulse will come from the doctor who has treated the child in the first days of life, i.e. the obstetrician or paediatrician. The paper recalls diagnostic criteria, in particular in distinguishing between slight cases and harmless temporary malpositions and describes the therapeutic possibilities. In case of contractions manual correction is usually sufficient, naturally under strict abservation and control, but whenever there is any restriction of the limit of movement in the contrary direction orthopaedic measures (correction and intermediate cast) will be necessary. Treatment, especially of club-footedness, demands considerable skill and patience both from the doctor and from the parents, the latter being ofter the greater problem. The necessity of long periods of treatment and even longer periods of observation cannot be sufficiently emphasized or repeated too often. Paediatricians can be of decisive influence because of their much more intensive cantact with the family.