Effect of postoperative early ankle motion exercise using hinged ankle-foot orthoses in clubfoot.
The authors proposed early application of hinged ankle-foot orthoses for improving postoperative range of ankle motion after the complete subtalar release operation for clubfoot. Forty-eight patients (74 feet) with clubfoot were divided into two groups: group A patients (20 feet) were immobilized in plaster casts for 6 weeks after surgery, followed by non-hinged ankle-foot orthoses, and group B patients (54 feet) were immobilized in plaster casts for 4 weeks after surgery, followed by hinged ankle-foot orthoses. The range of ankle plantarflexion in group B showed a significant improvement compared with group A at 3 months and 1, 2, and 3 years after surgery. There was no statistical difference between the groups in the range of dorsiflexion except at 3 months of follow-up. The postoperative talo-calcaneal index was well maintained in both groups. Early range-of-motion exercises using the hinged ankle-foot orthoses achieved good ankle function, especially in plantarflexion, with no loss of radiologic correction.
Miura
Yoko
Y
Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chiba Children's Hospital, Chiba, Japan. yokolove@mwb.biglobe.be.jp
Kamegaya
Makoto
M
Saisu
Takashi
T
Moriya
Hideshige
H
D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003025:Clubfoot / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005528:Foot; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D011182:Postoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome