The procedure is inexpensive, is performed in the doctor's office and eliminates the need for major surgery and hospitalization, Dr. Herzenberg adds. The cost of treatment is about one-tenth of the cost of traditional club foot surgery. The technique was developed by Ignacio Ponseti, M.D., now age 83, a professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery at the University of Iowa. When my first article was published, I thought the club foot treatment question was solved and I went on to research other problems, says Dr. Ponseti. But his less invasive technique did not catch on widely, and now he is on a mission to spread the word.
Club foot is a birth defect that causes a malformation of the bones, joints and muscles.
The condition occurs in about one out of every 1,000 newborns and is normally treated shortly after birth with weekly casting. However, the usual cast methods are only partially successful in realigning the foot, Dr. Herzenberg explains. Invariably, after undergoing three months of casting, the child still needs major reconstructive surgery at 6 months of age. Dr. Ponseti devised a method of casting that is most successful when instituted immediately after birth. Dr. Herzenberg adds, however, that he has successfully treated one child who first came to his office at age 7 months.