Overview
This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the original Denis Brawn brace to its modification in managing relapsed idiopathic clubfoot in patients following Ponseti casting.
Description
Clubfoot is an intricate deformity of the ankle and foot involving bony malalignment, adduction of the forefoot, and hindfoot varus, cavus, and equinus caused by contracture of soft tissues.
Lack of compliance causes the majority of relapse, as the child may have problems sleeping and wearing the Dennis Brown Splint; that is why parental counseling is vital and very much important in this regard.
Bracing plays a vital role in the maintenance of corrected club foot and allows the foot to achieve normal position after tenotomy, followed by serial casting. Bracing holds the foot not in a corrected but in an overcorrected position so that the normal position of the foot could be achieved after the correction. Without bracing, it is almost impossible for the physician or the surgeon to maintain the correction.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age from 2 to 5 years.
- Both sexes.
- Relapsed cases.
- Patients with idiopathic clubfoot.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Neurological or syndromic involvement.
- Presenting with skin or soft-tissue lesions around the foot and ankle.
- Inadequate documentation.
- Soft-tissue surgery is needed (except tendo-achilles tenotomy).
- Irregular plaster casting schedule.