Confirmation of the multifactorial threshold model for congenital structural talipes equinovarus

The first degree relatives of 174 children with congenital isolated structural talipes equinovarus were examined by an orthopaedic surgeon. The affected rate of first degree relatives was 27 times higher than the birth prevalence of Hungarian newborns. The heritability in the parents and sibs was 0.82 +/- 0.15. The multifactorial threshold model was proved by the so-called GAMT programme on the basis of the identity of the h2 values in the different generations of first degree relatives. A relatively lower familial clustering was found in gypsies who had a higher prevalence.