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Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Club Foot Deformity - A Brief Discussion


Clubfoot describes a range of foot abnormalities usually present at birth (congenital) in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position.
Also known as talipes equinovarus.
In patients with a club foot any of the following characteristics may be present, and each may vary from mild to severe:
  • The foot (especially the heel) is usually smaller than normal.
  • The foot may point downward.
  • The front of the foot may be rotated toward the other foot.
  • The foot may turn in, and in extreme cases, the bottom of the foot can point up.
Clubfoot can happen in one foot or in both feet. In almost half of affected infants, both feet are involved.
A club foot may occur as an isolated feature or, with multiple malformations else where but is usually an isolated problem for an otherwise healthy newborn.

Etiology: The cause of clubfoot is unknown (idiopathic), but it may be a combination of genetics and environment. Certain risk factors like family history, smoking in mother during pregnancy and decreased amniotic fluid may contribute to having club foot in the baby.

Clinical Features: Clubfoot typically doesn't cause any problems until the child starts to stand and walk. Although clubfoot is painless in a baby, treatment should begin immediately. Clubfoot can cause significant problems as the child grows. But with early treatment most children born with clubfoot are able to lead a normal life.

Complications: Untreated club foot can cause serious complications like:

1. Arthritis.
2. Poor self-image. The unusual appearance of the foot may make the child's body image a concern during the teen years.
3.Inability to walk normally. The twist of the ankle may not allow the child to walk on the sole of the foot. To compensate, he or she may walk on the ball of the foot, the outside of the foot or even the top of the foot in severe cases.
4. Problems stemming from walking adjustments. Walking adjustments may prevent natural growth of the calf muscles, cause large sores or calluses on the foot, and result in an awkward gait.

Diagnosis: is mostly clinical and X rays are sometimes needed to determine the severity of club foot. 

Treatment: When treatment for clubfoot starts soon after birth, the foot grows to be stable and positioned to bear weight for standing and moving comfortably.
Newborn baby's bones, joints and tendons are very flexible so the treatment for clubfoot usually begins in the first week or two after birth to get the best results. 

Treatment options include:
  • Stretching and casting (Ponseti method)
  • Surgery
Nonsurgical treatments such as casting or splinting are usually tried first. The foot (or feet) is moved (manipulated) into the most normal position possible and held (immobilized) in that position until the next treatment. This manipulation and immobilization procedure is repeated every 1 to 2 weeks for 2 to 4 months, moving the foot a little closer toward a normal position each time. Some children have enough improvement that the only further treatment is to keep the foot in the corrected position by splinting it as it grows.

If the clubfoot deformity is severe or doesn't respond to nonsurgical treatments, more invasive surgery may be needed. An orthopedic surgeon can lengthen tendons to help ease the foot into a better position. After surgery, the child will be in a cast for up to two months, and then need to wear a brace for a year or so to prevent the clubfoot from coming back.

Even with treatment, clubfoot may not be totally correctable. But in most cases babies who are treated early grow up to wear ordinary shoes and lead normal, active lives.

3 comments:

  1. Hello, my name is Betty. i was diagnosed of HIV virus 4 years back. Before then, i was dating this Derrick guy. we had something great going on. Our love life only lasted for 8 months. the sixth and seven month of our relationship, i began feeling very weak every now and then. But i never suspected anything until I kept on experiencing different symptoms like having sore throats, constant headache, body weakness e.t.c. I decided to go for a medical check up. I was tested HIV positive. when the doctor broke the news to me, it was as if my whole world had crumbled. it dawned on me then that Derrick has been lying to me. i was very mad to an extent i almost committed suicide. But there was nothing i could do, other than weep and weep. ever since then, i have been spending heavily on medications, going from one medical clinic or the other so I can look healthy. Though since i was a kid, i love herbs a lot. i take herbal tea with grandma while growing so i am quite familiar with herbs. early last year, i was on the internet and on a particular health blog, to check for herbal medication as alternative. I saw many comments and read many testimonies. Until i came across a particular testimony on how Dr.ugo cured a patient from herpes simplex virus using pure natural herbs. i reached out to the doctor because I also was thinking Herpes had no cure. I told him about my HIV status.He encouraged me not to panic that he will help me get my deliverance. he prepared some herbs and sent them to me. The herbs were in four 70ml bottles and I took them morning and night. i used as he directed, and in less than three weeks, i started having appetite to eat plenty of food and i gained back my strength. the fourth week,I consumed all the herbal meds. He encouraged me to go for a test which i did. This time, the result was negative. I quickly contacted the doctor and informed him of the news. I immediately asked him to prepare for Derrick too. He did and sent it. Today, me and Derrick are HIV free. All thanks goes to God Almighty for healing us through Dr.Ugo. if you are having any kind of sickness at all, Dr.Ugo is the right person to talk to and i assure you, you will be glad you did. His email: ugoherbalhome@gmail.com you can also write him on WhatsApp +2348104990619.

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  2. I feel so excited today because it's just a year since I got my breakthrough from Herpes.I was diagnosed of HSV1 on the 12/4/2015 and latter i got affected with the HSV2. That was my 2nd outbreak after i lost my ex fiance that got me affected with the virus. I was so scared when he died and what i heard about the Herpes virus as he's deathly and such has no cure. I feel so pity and and a disgrace to my personality,in my career and my family to have been in with the deathly sickness, and that would makes my love ones siblings stay far from me. I was going to my regular church activities when i begin to hear testimonies of how people get cure online, i never gave it a thought till my cousin Stephanie who was affected with HIV told me, Lenny you need not to worry cos i met i man today online , i traditional herbal healer whom two of her friends confirmed he cure them with his herbal herbs that i should give it a try. I saw the interest in her and she did contact the herbal doctor again in my present, luckily for me he picked and show up himself, behold he was at about to attain to some patients that have came back with appreciation of how he cure them from Cancer, HIV, and off much too the herpes he cured an 18 years old daughter.
    I was so happy that day, i wanted to be there but the distance was a barrier to me. I told him how the virus had eaten me up and and a truly believe there's cure for herpes. He told me me with assurance that my case wont be different and he had been curing lots of people With his herbal medicine and most people due contact him from the States and preperd the medicine and made use of the DHL to reach him.
    Honestly speaking Dr. Akpu power his a great and gifted herbalist,His destined to herbs.
    He made me do away with the medical prescription,the acyclovir (Zovirax), famciclovir(Famvir), and valacyclovir (valtrex). you don't know him because you haven't meet this man try and contact him yourself Dr. Akpu in Africa is popularly known in his City,and you can request for his address yourself. I'm so happy now cos,I and my cousin had been confirmed negative till date..the Lord is good in my life. Dr. Akpu sent me his herbal medicine that heal me too, 🙏 🙏 Dr. Akpu for giving me another life.
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  3. I started on COPD Herbal treatment from Ultimate Health Home, the treatment worked incredibly for my lungs condition. I used the herbal treatment for almost 4 months, it reversed my COPD. My severe shortness of breath, dry cough, chest tightness gradually disappeared. Reach Ultimate Health Home via their website at www.ultimatelifeclinic.com I can breath much better and It feels comfortable!

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