An introduction to congenital clubfoot and early treatment by the Pansetti method

  Horseshoe clubfoot is one of the most common deformities in pediatric orthopedics and includes deformities such as forefoot pronation, radial inversion, ankle clubfoot and tibial internal rotation. It is often diagnosed early because of the deformity in the appearance of the foot.  China is a country with a high incidence of clubfoot, and it is estimated that about 1 in 1,000 newborns have this condition. Untreated clubfoot will lead to severe disability, and irregularly treated, and extensively surgically treated clubfoot often presents with stiffness, weakness, and possible inversion of the foot, all of which will lead to some degree of disability in the future.  The cause of clubfoot is not well understood, but there are several theories: neuromuscular pathology, genetic factors, soft tissue contracture, abnormal development of the primitive bone base, and even the month of conception of the mother of the affected child. However, regardless of the etiology, the ultimate goal of treatment is for the child to have a flexible, painless, and strong foot, which is the primary concern of parents.  There are many treatment options for clubfoot of different ages and degrees, such as partial or extensive soft tissue release, muscle balancing surgery, and even bony surgery. Ponseti therapy.  This method was proposed by Professor Ponseti, a famous pediatric orthopedic specialist in the United States, in the 1960s. Through the study of fetal histology, the newborn ligaments were rich in collagen and could be easily stretched, thus gradually repositioning the ectopic foot bone. Unfortunately, for some reasons, it was not taken seriously at that time until after the publication of the article on long-term follow-up results 20 years ago and its promotion through the Internet and its gradual application in the global pediatric orthopedic community, when it reached China, it was already another 10 years past, and it has only been promoted in China since 2005.  The Pansetti method consists of three processes: continuous plaster orthosis, Achilles tendon severing, and brace maintenance, each of which requires the participation of a specially trained orthopedic surgeon in order to minimize complications such as plaster pressure sores, flat feet, rocking chair soles, etc., and must be followed up for several years until the skeletal development of the foot is close to definitive to avoid recurrence.