Clubfoot repair

Alternative Names: Repair of clubfoot; Posteromedial release; Achilles tendon release; Clubfoot release; Talipes equinovarus - repair; Tibialis anterior tendon transfer

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

See also: Clubfoot

Description of Procedure

The type of surgery that is done depends on:

• How serious the clubfoot is
• Your child's age
• What other treatments your child has had

Your child will have general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free) during the surgery.

Ligaments are tissues that help hold the bones together in the body. Tendons are tissues that help attach muscles to bones. A clubfoot occurs when tight tendons and ligaments prevent the foot from stretching into the right position.

To repair a clubfoot, one or two cuts are made in the skin, most often on the back of the foot and around the inside part of the foot.

• Your child's surgeon may make the tendon around the foot longer or shorter. The Achilles tendon at the back of the foot is almost always cut.
• Older children or more severe cases may need some bone cut. Sometimes, pins are placed in the foot.
• A cast is placed on the foot after surgery to keep it in position while it heals. Sometimes a splint is put on first, and the cast is placed a few days later.

Older children who still have a foot deformity after surgery may need more surgery. Also, children who have not had surgery yet may need surgery as they grow. Types of surgery they may need include:

• Osteotomy: Removing part of the bone
• Fusion or arthrodesis: Two or more bones are fused together. The surgeon uses bone from somewhere else in the body.
• Metal pins or plates may be used to hold the bones together for a while.

Risks of Clubfoot repair

Risks from any anesthesia are:

• Breathing problems
• Reactions to medicines

Risks from any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Possible problems from clubfoot surgery are:

• Damage to nerves in the foot
• Foot swelling
• Problems with blood flow to the foot
• Wound healing problems

Club foot repair - series

Review Date: 2/21/2011
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine; David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by BEnjamin D. Roye, MD-MPH, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Children's Hospital of NY, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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