Posteroplantar release for congenital clubfoot in children younger than 1 year

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H Reichel1, S Lebek, L Milikic

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Saale, Germany.

Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
|June 13, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Standardized posteroplantar release surgery effectively treated resistant congenital clubfoot in young children, achieving good or excellent results in most cases. Some patients required additional surgery for relapses or residual deformities.

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Congenital Deformities

Background:

  • Congenital clubfoot is a common birth defect requiring effective treatment.
  • Resistant cases often necessitate surgical intervention.
  • Early surgical management aims to correct deformity and prevent long-term complications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term outcomes of a standardized posteroplantar release for resistant congenital clubfoot.
  • To assess the efficacy of this surgical technique in young children.
  • To identify factors influencing surgical success and potential complications.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 93 patients (133 feet) with resistant congenital clubfoot underwent standardized posteroplantar release.
  • Patients were aged 3 to 10 months at the time of surgery.
  • Clinical and radiographic assessments were performed with a mean follow-up of 7 years and 4 months.

Main Results:

  • 79.7% of surgically treated clubfeet achieved good or excellent results based on the McKay score.
  • Three patients experienced relapse requiring further surgery.
  • Seventeen feet had residual forefoot adduction at follow-up.
  • Radiographs indicated sufficient hindfoot correction in most cases.

Conclusions:

  • Standardized posteroplantar release is a satisfactory surgical treatment for congenital clubfoot in patients under one year of age.
  • Persistent talonavicular subluxation may benefit from an additional talonavicular release.
  • Early surgical intervention can lead to good long-term outcomes for resistant clubfoot.

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