Functional Outcomes of Ponseti Method among Children with Congenital Clubfoot

Abstract

Background: The children with congenital clubfoot (CC) are being managed by the cost-effective Ponseti method (PM) for over a decade in Bangladesh, however, its functional outcomes in the dynamic foot tasks are little known here. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes among children with CC who underwent PM in a selected healthcare center in Bangladesh. Methods: It was a longitudinal study with repeated follow-up process conducted using secondary data from a total of 93 child patients with uni- and/or bi-lateral CC who attended the physiotherapy department of a selected hospital in Chattogram. Complying with the PM treatment protocol, those who completed a 3-month bracing period, continued regular follow-up visits and also maintained all the records properly, their data were used in this study. The functional outcomes were assessed through four basic physical functional parameters such as the tasks of standing on the ground, 10-repetition squatting, 12-feet walking, and 40-feet running that performed routinely during the total of 10 consecutive follow-up visits (once in every four months after the completion of bracing period). Results: Majority of the patients were men (72.0%) and one month old during the 1st consultation (54.8%). Around, 16% of the patients were able to perform all the functional tasks at both 1st and 4th visits, independently, and 12–14% were able to do at the 5th–7th visits. Finally, all of them were able to perform all the functional tasks within their last visit, which reflected the 100% functional outcomes. Conclusions: The functional outcomes of PM among children with CC in Bangladesh reflect a substantially significant positive effect. Further large-scale studies are recommended to explore the precise effectiveness of PM among the population in experimental approach.