Idiopathic Congenital Talipes Equinovarus

Description: JAAOS Article J Am Acad Orthop Surg, Vol 10, No 4, July/August 2002, 239-248. David P. Roye, Jr, MD and Benjamin D. Roye, MD, MPH requires AAOS membership or subscription or pay per view
The etiology of idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus is unknown, and there is no consensus as to the best treatment. Increasingly, ultrasound is being used to diagnose the condition prenatally, but the diagnosis remains clinical postnatally. Radiographs can help confirm the diagnosis and ascertain the severity of the condition. There are many classification schemes, but none offers adequate prognostic value. The mainstay of treatment is manipulation and casting, usually followed by soft-tissue release. However, some patients have been successfully treated with intensive physiotherapy instead of surgery.