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Ency. home > Surgery > C > Club foot repair

Club foot repair   

Overview | Recovery | Risks

Alternative names:

Repair of club foot; Foot tendon release; Club foot release

Definition:

Surgical repair of a birth defect of the foot and ankle (club foot). The defect may be mild or severe.

Description

The type and extent of surgery depends on the how severe the deformity is. The defect involves tight and short tendons around the foot and ankle. The surgery involves lengthening some tendons and shortening other tendons to place the bones and joints in normal positions. A cast is applied to the foot after surgery to maintain its position while it heals.

Indications

The newborn baby's deformed foot is initially treated with casts. The tendons, ligaments, and bones are still quite flexible and easier to reposition. The foot is stretched into a more normal position and a light-weight cast is applied to retain the corrected position. The cast will be removed every week or two so the foot can be further stretched into better position and maintained with a new cast. This serial casting is continued for three or more months and is successful in at least 50% of cases. If the casts do not provide enough correction of the club foot, surgery is considered.

Ency. home > Surgery > C > Club foot repair

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