Clubfoot is an abnormality in which one foot or both feet are turned inward. In an infant with clubfoot, the tendons (the tissues connecting the muscles to the bone) are shorter than usual. The condition gets its name since the foot is turned inward in a way that can resemble the head of a golf club. The extent of the infant's abnormality can vary widely. Some children have only a mild deformity in foot position, but in some cases the foot is fixed in a position that would make walking impossible. Clubfoot is present from birth (congenital), it is not painful and it is very treatable in infants.
Clubfoot can run in families. An infant is more likely to be born with clubfoot if a parent or a sibling had the condition. An infant with neurologic problems (such as cerebral palsy) may be more likely to have clubfoot. In most cases treatment provides excellent long-term outcomes.
At University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, we offer the Ponseti method of repositioning and recasting your child's foot. Casts are changed weekly at first, then every other week, until your child is approximately 3 months old. We also use surgery to release the shortened tendon that is pulling on the foot. Surgery may be performed in children aged 4 to 5 months or older who have not been treated or whose casting did not fully correct the condition. Leading-edge research done by our physicians may also offer additional treatment advantages for your child.