Current management of idiopathic clubfoot

Idiopathic clubfoot, one of the most common problems in pediatric orthopaedics, is characterized by a complex three-dimensional deformity of the foot. The treatment of clubfoot is controversial and continues to be so. Since nonsurgical management was thought not to yield adequate correction and a durable result, most children with idiopathic clubfoot have undergone surgery with extensive posteromedial and lateral release. However, surgical management caused residual deformity, stiffness, and pain in some children. Therefore, the favorable long-term results with the Ponseti and French methods of nonsurgical management have garnered interest. Today extensive surgical treatment is no longer necessary in more then 90% of congenital clubfeet. This review aims to assess the different methods of clubfoot treatment used over the years in light of an evolving understanding of the pathoanatomy of the deformity and also clarify factors that allow a safe, logical approach to clubfoot management.