Surgical treatment of congenital clubfoot deformity : the Qatar experience

Abstract EN

This was a retrospective study analyzing surgical treat¬ment of rigid, non-teratologic talipes equinovarus (clubfoot deformity) in Qatar in the ten year period from 1990 to 1999.

Treatment started early (as soon as the patient was referred, usually during the first two - three weeks of de¬livery) with serial manipulation and adhesive strapping or plaster of paris casting.

When clinically indicated, soft tis¬sue release was performed.

One hundred and twenty one feet were operated upon in Hamad General Hospital during that period.

(73 patients, 46 male, 27 female).

Postero-medial release was done in 73 feet; Achilles tendon lengthening in eight feet; poste¬rior release in 32 feet.

Most primary soft tissue procedures were performed between two and ten months of age.

Pri¬mary bony procedures were done for eight feet with late presentation.

Posterior release alone resulted in a higher rate of sec-ondary procedures (53 %), whereas postero-medial release resulted in only 22 %.

Therefore we recommend postero¬medial release whenever in doubt about the adequacy of posterior release.