New Technique Straightens Flat Feet

A new surgical technique has shown early success in correcting congenital vertical talus (CVT), a foot deformity that causes sufferers to have a rigid flatfoot.

A researcher at Washington University School of Medicine (St. Louis, MO, USA) developed a treatment for CVT that involves gently manipulating the foot and applying long leg casts weekly for four to six weeks to gradually correct the deformity. After the casting period, an x-ray is taken to determine the success of the correction. The procedure, based on principles developed in the 1950s for clubfoot (another congenital foot deformity), was performed in 11 patients with CVT, a total of 19 feet.

"Much of the correction is achieved with casting alone,” said treatment developer Matthew B. Dobbs, M.D., an associate professor of orthopedic surgery who performs the procedure at St. Louis Children's Hospital (MO, USA) with casting, we reach the rest of the correction with a minimally invasive surgery. This type of surgery is very small compared to the extensive release surgery that has been done in the past.”

In the minor surgical procedure, a small pin is inserted into a joint in the foot where it meets the ankle to hold the correct position for about two months. After the casting treatments or the surgical pinning, CVT patients wear a nighttime brace for several years to prevent recurrence. The study was published the March 2007 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

CVT, or rocker-bottom flat foot, occurs in about 1 in 10,000 live births. Left untreated, the patient would walk on the inside of the ankle rather than the bottom of the foot, resulting in pain and disability. CVT afflicts both healthy children and those with genetic birth defects and neuromuscular disorders.


Related Links:
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis Children's Hospital