Clubfoot: nature and treatment

1. Clubfoot is a relatively common abnormality that occurs in 1 per 1,000 live births. Untreated, clubfoot precludes normal gait because the patient is forced to walk on the lateral side of the forefoot. 2. Treatment of clubfoot should begin at birth to avoid a fixed and disabling deformity. Early treatment routinely involves serial manipulation, followed by adhesive strapping or casting of the manipulated foot to hold the correction. Although less than half of congenital clubfoot cases treated from birth will respond to serial manipulation and casting, it is generally the first choice of treatment. 3. If serial manipulation and adhesive strapping or casting do not correct the deformity, then surgery, one small part in the ongoing treatment, is necessary. With adequate preparation and planning, maximum benefit can be obtained from the surgical experience.