Clubfoot
Description
Congenital disorder in which the foot and ankle are twisted and can’t be manipulated into the correct position
Unilateral clubfoot more common than bilateral
Also known as talipes
Pathophysiology
Abnormal development of the foot during fetal growth leads to abnormal muscles and joints and contracture of soft tissue.
Apparent clubfoot
Results when a fetus maintains a position that gives his feet a clubfoot appearance at birth; it’s usually corrected manually.
Another form of apparent clubfoot includes inversion of the feet, resulting from the denervation type of progressive muscular atrophy and progressive muscular dystrophy.
Causes
Arrested development during the 9th and 10th weeks of embryonic life, when the feet are formed
Deformed talus and shortened Achilles tendon
Possible genetic predisposition
Assessment findings
Deformity usually obvious at birth (see Types of clubfoot)
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