Ignacio Ponseti, MD, whose pioneering, non-surgical, treatment has benefited hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, died on October 18, 2009 at age 95 following a sudden illness.

Dr. Ponseti joined the orthopedics faculty at The University of Iowa in 1944 following his residency—remaining there for four decades treating patients, teaching, and conducting research. He retired as professor emeritus in 1984, but returned in 1986 to a consultative practice in orthopedics.

In the course of his career he developed the Ponseti method for treating clubfoot, involving the careful manipulation of muscles, joints and ligaments held in a series of casts and braces to reposition the foot back to normal. It became the "gold standard" for clubfoot treatment, after decades of positive follow-up results and numerous international peer-reviewed studies showing success rates as high as 98 percent.

Over the past decade, through educational and advocacy efforts, the Ponseti method has become the mainstream treatment for clubfoot in North America and is increasingly used to help children with clubfoot from underdeveloped regions of the world. In August 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed the Ponseti method.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ponseti International Association through the UI Foundation PIA Contribution Page available here.