Results of the conservative treatment in clubfoot using the French method

Abstract

The idiopathic clubfoot represents a congenital deformation incorporating four distinct alterations: the equinus, varus, cavus and adduction of the forefoot to the hindfoot. The meaning given to the conservative treatment of clubfoot by French method is that of mobilization-manipulation and serial plaster immobilizations. We followed the results of the early conservative orthopedic treatment in the congenital clubfoot in 52 patients (74 feet) under the age of 1 year. These cases were treated in the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics of the Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital of Cluj-Napoca for a period of 5 years. The degree of deformation used DiMeglio’s clinical criteria. The conservative treatment began since the presentation of the cases with mobilizations – manipulations and continued up to the age of one month. After the age of one month, serial plaster immobilizations followed. When the conservative treatment failed consecutive to five or six successive plasters, the correction already obtained was followed by surgery. The percentage of the favorable results after the conservative treatment can reach 82.44 %. The results are not so good in cases of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, myelomeningocele etc.