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Can you please explain how or why the Ponseti Method works for clubfoot? Our infant son is going through this treatment. But wouldn't he just outgrow this problem with corrective shoes?
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Clubfoot is an unmistakable deformity present at birth. The foot is twisted (turned under and towards the other foot). The medical terminology for this position is equinus and varus.
Equinus means that the toes are pointed down and the ankle flexed forward (like the position of the foot when a ballet dancer is on her toes). Varus means tilted inward. The ankle is in varus when you try to put the soles of your feet together.
The medical term for clubfoot is Congenital Talipes Equinovarus. Congenital means that the condition is present at birth and occurred during fetal development. Clubfoot mainly affects three bones of the foot: the calcaneus (heel bone), talus (just above the heel bone), and navicular (bone next to the talus).
The standard treatment for a clubfoot deformity in infants and young children is the procedure you are becoming familiar with: the Ponseti Method. Developed by an Italian physician, the Ponseti Method involves manipulating (moving) the bones of the foot and ankle toward a neutral position of alignment. The bones are then held in place by a cast.
Each week the cast is removed, the bones are moved again as close to normal as possible and another cast wrapped around the leg to hold everything in place. This weekly treatment continues for about five to six weeks (or until maximum correction possible is achieved).
The reason this approach works is that manipulation stretches the still very flexible joint capsule ligaments, tendons, and muscles in infants and young children. The Ponseti method also corrects the abnormal relationships of the bones in the foot. By aligning the bones where they belong, this treatment even has the potential to reshape the bones so that they fit together as they should.
A corrective brace is worn after the Ponseti treatment is completed. Many studies over the years have shown that just wearing the brace is not enough to correct the abnormal ankle and foot alignment. Combining manipulation with immobilization followed by corrective bracing has the best results overall.
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