title: Early experience with the Ponseti method for the treatment of congenital idiopathic clubfoot.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The preferred conservative treatment for congenital idiopathic clubfoot deformity remains a controversial issue.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the outcomes of two groups of CICF patients who underwent two different treatment protocols.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study cohort included 72 infants treated in our hospital from August 1998 to December 2002. Group 1 comprised 40 infants (61 clubfeet) who were treated by a traditional method (a modification of the Kite and Lovell technique), and group 2 consisted of 32 infants (48 clubfeet) treated with the Ponseti technique. Both groups were similar in age, gender and severity of the deformity (Dimeglio scoring system).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After an average follow-up of 54.9 months (range 44-68), 35 (57%) clubfeet in group 1 required surgical intervention and 27 (44%) clubfeet had a residual deformity at last follow-up. In the Ponseti group, 45 (94%) clubfeet were fully corrected at last follow-up (average 29.2 months, range 16-45) while 3 (6%) clubfeet had residual deformity and required surgery. Achilles tendon tenotomy was performed with no complications in 47 clubfeet (in group 2) at an average age of 2.4 months (range 2-4 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even after a relatively short follow-up period, our success rate with the Ponseti approach already appears to be significantly higher and to bear fewer complications than the traditional treatment, in agreement with the results published by other medical centers. We now endorse the Ponseti technique of conservative manipulative treatment for congenital idiopathic clubfoot in our department.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. esegev@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Segev
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keret
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lokiec
authors.forename: Ariella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yavor
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wientroub
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ezra
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayek
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000601:surgery; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D003025:Clubfoot / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic / Q000379:methods*; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome