Surgical Treatment of Idiopathic Clubfoot

Introduction Treatment of idiopathic clubfoot has evolved over the years through different changes where surgery and conservative treatment have been competing each other. Prevention of recurrence is the main challenge that each method faces. Goal This study presents the functional results of surgical treatment of idiopathic clubfoot with posteromedial release (Turco) Material and Method We followed up for a minimum of 5 years, 56 operated clubfeet with Turco technique. They were classified preoperatively as mild, moderate or severe and grouped into those operated on before or after 1 year of age. All of them underwent serial casting before surgery. We evaluated the functional results by measuring the range of ankle motion and Ponseti score. Results. Out of 56 operated feet, 54 (96 %) feet did not need further treatment. Two feet did recurrence because of noncompliance of parents with orthopedic shoes and physiotherapy. These cases underwent a second surgery and did well. The results were rated, as excellent in 30 % of the feet, good in 50 % of the feet, fair in 16 % of the feet and poor in 4 %. The mean Ponseti score for both groups was 83.9 (good). The younger patients had better results than older patients Conclusion Turco technique is effective for the treatment of clubfoot when the conservative treatment has failed. The earlier the intervention is done the better are the functional results.