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Clubfoot repair - Overview

Alternative Names

Repair of clubfoot; Foot tendon release; Clubfoot release; Talipes equinovarus - repair; Talectomy; Fusion surgery for the foot; Triple arthrodesis

Definition of Clubfoot repair:

Clubfoot repair is surgery to correct a birth defect of the foot and ankle.

See also: Clubfoot

Description:

The type of surgery that is done depends on how serious the deformity is, how old your child is, and what other treatments your child has had.

Your child will have general anesthesia (asleep and not feeling pain) during the surgery.

Your childā ' s surgeon may make the tendons around your childā ' s foot longer or shorter. This will help the surgeon put the bones and joints into normal positions. Sometimes, pins are placed in the foot for a time.

  • One or two small cuts are made in the skin around the ankle and foot.
  • A cast is placed on the foot after surgery to keep it in position while it heals.

Older children who still have a foot deformity after surgery may need more surgery. Also, children who have not had surgery for their deformity yet may need surgery as they grow. The kind of surgery they may need are:

  • Osteotomy: removal of part of the bone
  • Fusion or arthrodesis: 2 or more bones are fused together. The surgeon will use bone from somewhere else in the body.
  • Metal pins or plates may be used to hold the bones together for a while.
  • Reviewed last on: 12/7/2008
  • Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Canale ST, Beatty JH, eds. Congenital clubfoot (talipes equinovarus) In: Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 26.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
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