Results of treatment of congenital clubfoot after soft tissue release in children

Abstract

Topicality. Widespread use of the method of I. Ponseti allows to significantly reduce the number of reconstructive surgeries and/or reduce their volume. However, if presence the rigid, severe deformities that cannot be corrected with staged plaster casts, or recurrences, surgical treatment is advisable. The literature describes many surgical techniques, the main purpose of which is to reduce the frequency of postoperative complications. And at the same time find the most convenient access to eliminate contractures, further wound healing by primary tension with minimal formation of connective tissue elements.

Objective: to reduce the incidences of complications in the surgical treatment of congenital clubfoot by using a modified surgical approach.

Materials and methods. In the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of NCSH «OKHMATDYT» 57 children (72 feet) with a diagnosis of congenital clubfoot underwent surgical treatment using a modified Carroll approach for the period from January 2014 to September 2018. The mean age of patients was 3±0.4 years. 41 of them boys and 16 girls. Bilateral deformity was observed in 12 patients. 48 patients (58 feet) were underwent surgical treatment after initial treatment with staged plaster casts according to the method of I. Ponseti. Recurrences of deformity after surgery was observed in 9 patients (14 feet).

Results. When assessing the immediate results during surgery in all patients, complete correction of foot deformity was achieved. No postoperative complications were noted. Long-term treatment results 2 years after surgery showed that good results were in 12 patients (21±9.53%), satisfactory in 39 (68.4±27.14%) and unsatisfactory in 6 (7±2.18%). Four patients with unsatisfactory results and residual manifestations of deformity in the form of passively corrected isolated adduction of the anterior foot, subsequently underwent surgery to transplant the anterior tibialis tendon to the lateral cuneiform bone. And 2 patients – wedge-shaped resection of the cuboid bone. Indication of which was not the possibility of passive correction of deformity.

Conclusions. The comparative analysis of the obtained results and literature data testifies to the effectiveness of the proposed method of treatment of idiopathic clubfoot in children (using three approaches), as well as in the presence of residual deformity after conservative and surgical treatment.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of participating institution.