Surgery at younger age now recommended By Dr. Andrew Price, For The Associated Press Recent changes in the treatment of clubfoot have given children with the condition the possibility of near-normal foot function.
Clubfoot is a congenital malformation that is usually diagnosed at birth.
The deformity is typified by a kidney-shaped foot with a downward tilt. In past years, physicians believed it best to wait until a child was at least 1 year old before surgically correcting clubfoot. Recent research, however, shows that surgery at 5 or 6 months of age improves the range of motion, shape and overall correction of the foot. The procedure generally releases tightness of the soft tissues, correctly repositioning the bones and ligaments and lengthening the tendons. Although clubfoot can occur when there is no prior record of the disorder, the incidence of the condition is slightly higher in families with a history of the problem.