09/09/2025
Clubfoot is a congenital deformity where a baby's foot or feet are turned inward and downward due to shortened and tight tendons connecting leg muscles to foot bones. While not painful for infants, untreated clubfoot can lead to significant walking difficulties and other foot problems later in life. Early intervention, primarily through the Ponseti method of serial casting and bracing, is highly effective in correcting the condition and enabling a normal, active life.
The exact cause of clubfoot is often unknown, but it is believed to be multifactorial, involving a combination of genetic and environmental factors . There is a higher risk if there is a family history of clubfoot . Boys are up to twice as likely to develop clubfoot as girls . Environmental factors such as maternal smoking, drug use, or certain infections (like Zika) during pregnancy may also increase the risk Clubfoot can be classified into two main types: isolated (idiopathic) clubfoot, which is the most common and occurs without other medical issues, and nonisolated (secondary) clubfoot, which is associated with other health conditions like spina bifida or arthrogryposis