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Radiographic Impact on the Clinical Decision Making of Achilles Tenotomy in Clubfoot: In Search of an Objective
Mehmet Burak Yalçın1, Ahmet Dogan2, Onat Uzumcugil2
1Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Bahcelievler Memorial Hospital, Istanbul 34180, Turkey.
Background:
We tried to determine whether the indication of Achilles tenotomy (AT) in clubfoot patients based on clinical evaluation could be confirmed radiographically, and to find an objective radiographic cut-off value for its indication.
Methods:
Eighty-six clubfeet from 60 patients, (26 bilateral and 34 unilateral) were included. A standard Ponseti treatment regimen was applied. Group 1 comprised patients who underwent AT immediately after serial plaster casting (26 feet). Group 2 comprised patients who underwent AT during the follow-up period (48 feet). Group 3 comprised patients who were assumed to have a corrected foot and did not undergo AT (12 feet). Group 4 comprised the healthy sides of the unilateral cases (34 feet).
Results:
Both Group 1 and Group 2 showed significant improvement after tenotomy (p = 0.002). In order to differentiate between the normal and AT groups according to the pre-tenotomy angle, we obtained an optimal cut-off value of >85° according to the Youden index, a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 91.2%, a positive predictive value of 95.9%, a negative predictive value of 91.2%, and an accuracy rate of 94.4% (AUC: 0.983; p < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Feet with a lateral tibio-calcaneal angle > 85° can be considered pathologic and accepted as candidates for AT.
