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Club Foot
Club foot or clubfoot, is a term for the medical condition congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV). It is a congenital deformity involving one foot or both. It is relatively common, affecting around one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK. Both feet are affected in around half of the children born with the condition.
The affected foot appears to have been rotated internally at the ankle. The foot points downwards and inwards, with the soles of the feet facing backwards.
Without treatment, people with club feet often appear to walk on their ankles or on the sides of their feet.
Existing therapy and treatment
While a baby is young, natural flexibility can be utilised to get things back to where they belong. In most cases, the foot will respond well to conservative correction using the Ponseti method which involves manipulation, serial casting and a very small procedure to release the tight Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle.
There follows a long period of maintenance of the corrected position of the feet, traditionally this has been achieved with what is called the boots and bar approach.
LOC is pioneering the use of a different brace in this final phase of treatment – the
Cunningham Brace.
For support and further information
Steps Worldwide
Steps is a registered charity working for all those whose lives are affected by childhood lower limb conditions and is a founding partner of Global Club Foot Initiative.
TYPES OF TREATMENT
Clinical Research
The purpose of Jerald’s white paper is to present information about his alternative protocol to the Boots and Bar approach. His innovative orthotic management of Talipes equinovarus is being utilized on a small scale and is resulting in effective maintenance following Ponseti-casting of club feet.
Read more about the white paper
Bespoke Orthotics for Adults
Due to the relatively recent introduction of the Ponseti method, patients living with club foot have to seek bespoke orthotics in order to improve their comfort and minimise pain.
At LOC, we prescribe and manufacture all ranges of orthoses to cater for this need. Dependent on what treatments you may have had in the past, our clinicians will review your current symptoms and discuss what goals you want to achieve; this will help your clinician determine which is the right orthotic treatment for you.
You can visit our
Bespoke Orthotics page to see our full range or alternatively, read more about
Adult Club Foot Treatment.
Robotic Technology at LOC
Victor the Robot, our new Computer Numerical Control milling machine, in action! Victor is noisy, but he’s transforming our ability to design and manufacture orthotic devices at our Kingston-upon-Thames clinic.
Manufactured by Rodin4D, Victor is capable of milling complex ergonomic shapes, meaning that we can now potentially assess a spinal orthotic patient, manufacture the orthosis and have it fitted, all in the space of a day. Victor can do everything we need to do for our patients, in-house and in the shortest time possible with no compromise on quality.
Learn more about Victor
ORTHOTIC STORIES
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