children s health issues
Clubfoot and Other Foot Defects
Introduction
Clubfoot (talipes equinovarus) is a birth defect in which the foot and ankle are twisted out of shape or position. Birth defects, also called congenital anomalies, are physical abnormalities that occur before a baby is born. "Congenital" means "present at birth." (See also Introduction to Birth Defects of the Face, Bones, Joints, and Muscles .) The usual clubfoot is a down and inward turning of the hind foot and ankle, with twisting inward of the forefoot. Sometimes the foot only appears abnormal because it was held in an unusual position in the uterus (positional clubfoot). In contrast, true clubfoot is a structurally abnormal foot, which is a true malformation (an error in the baby's development that occurs in the womb). With true clubfoot, the bones of the leg or foot or the muscles of the calf are often underdeveloped. Positional clubfoot can be corrected by immobilizing the joints in a cast and by using physical therapy to stretch the foot and ankle. Early treatment with immobilization is beneficial for true clubfoot, but surgery, often complex, is also generally needed. Larsen syndromeis a disorder in which children are born with clubfeet and dislocations of the hips, knees, and elbows. Other foot defects include metatarsus adductus, metatarsus varus, talipes calcaneovalgus, and pes planus. 