[Skew foot--etiology, clinical appearance, management].

Thirty feet in 18 children diagnosed as skew foot (Z-foot, serpentine foot) have been assessed. Following types of deformity have been distinguished: 1. idiopathic congenital (21 feet), 2. congenital, associated with other defects or systemic disease (8 feet), 3. acquired (iatrogenic) after manipulations for club foot treatment (1 foot) and 4. neurogenic, not represented in this study. In the first group minor forefoot adduction that remained after cast treatment was generally accepted by the parents; 7 feet required surgical release. Eight feet were corrected operatively in group 2. In most of the cases palliative procedures were performed due to late turning for surgery of children with systemic disease. In case of type 3 deformity termination of manipulations spontaneously led to the restoration of anatomy in the Chopart joint. According to the authors, surgery, preferably in the first year of life, offers full possibility to regain anatomy and shape of the foot.