Temporal Variation of Scores Along the Course of the Ponseti Treatment in Older Children: A Ready Guide to Progress of Treatment.

PURPOSE: We aimed to graphically study the correction trend along the course of Ponseti treatment in older children with idiopathic clubfeet.

METHODS

The temporal variation of total Pirani and Dimeglio scores and their individual components at each casting session was represented graphically. Tenotomy correction was accounted for separately. We classified 0 to 4 as early, 4 to 8 as midlevel, and beyond 8 as late casts to describe the sequence of treatment.

RESULTS

A total of 27 patients (39 feet; bilateral in 12) were studied. The average patient age was 4.78±2.36 years. Rigid equinus was the more severe pretreatment deformity in Pirani system and also the most difficult to treat component. Posterior crease and medial crease were least severe and were treated in early casts. Reducibility of lateral head of talus, curved lateral border of foot, and empty heel were moderately severe and showed a gradual improvement pattern over subsequent casting sessions. For Dimeglio components, equinus was the most resistant deformity, and it persisted until late casts. Adduction, rotation, and varus were moderately severe, and they followed a gradual improvement slope. Several components/scores did not turn 0 after correction for older clubfoot children.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment graphs for older clubfoot children adequately illustrated the initial severity, number of Ponseti casts used, correction of total scores and their individual components over sequential casting sessions, tenotomy influence, and the residual deformities.