Ponseti Method Treatment

What is clubfoot?

Clubfoot is a global problem that occurs in every country. It…

• Is the most common skeletal deformity among newborn babies everywhere.
• Affects 175,000 to 200,000 newborn children each year.
• Has never been corrected in 100,000s of children and adults worldwide.
• Is NOT caused by fetal positioning, mother’s behavior, or any known cause.
• Occurs in approximately 1 in every 750 live births.
• Is twice as common in males as in females.
• Is present in only one foot 50% of the time.
• Shows only a very slight effect of family history.
• Clubfoot knows no social, economic, or ethnic boundaries.
• If untreated, clubfoot often leads to neglect, poverty, abuse, and missed opportunities.

The Ponseti Method

• was developed by Dr. Ignacio Ponseti at the University of Iowa, where Paul Harris received his law degree.
• is recognized as the “gold standard” for correcting clubfoot worldwide, including the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and many others.
• is a low-cost, low-risk, non-surgical, highly effective treatment.
• consists of a series of gentle manipulations, followed by weekly plaster casts, but requires specialized training to be used successfully.
• typically results in a fully corrected foot in 4-6 weeks, using 4-6 casts.
• requires use of a foot abduction brace, mostly worn at night, until age 4.
• can correct clubfoot and prevent disability everywhere in the world.