The role of radiographic measurements in the evaluation of congenital clubfoot surgical results

Abstract

A series of 50 patients with 71 clubfeet treated surgically was evaluated after exclusion of individuals with associated malformations, syndromes, neurological disorders, previous surgery and age over 30 months at the time of the surgical procedure. They underwent soft-tissue releases that addressed all the components of the deformity, including, when necessary, the calcaneocuboid joint. The age of the patients at the time of the surgery ranged from 6 to 26 months and the mean follow-up period was 77.03 months. The scores resulting from the application of the functional rating system designed by Laaveg and Ponseti were compared with several radiological parameters described in the medical literature to verify the degree of statistical association between these variables. The talo-first metatarsal angle, the calcaneal-second and fifth metatarsal angles were the only radiological measurements that correlated well with the functional score.