Ponseti Method Outcomes

After two months of manipulation and casting the foot appears slightly overcorrected - after a few weeks in splints however, the foot looks normal.

Children are adept at learning new ways of getting around in the brace - they can sit, crawl and walk in the brace. None of the milestones in their development are adversely affected.

In rare cases some children require a surgical procedure at around 3 years which may involve re–locating a tendon in the foot to make it pull more laterally.

After 4 years the brace can be discarded altogether and your child’s feet will be corrected without the need for major surgery. There’s no scare tissue, no reason to expect pain, arthritis or stiffness. Instead your child can look forward to normal, pain free and completely functional feet.

Does surgery "cure" clubfoot?

No. If ’successful’ it improves the appearance of the foot but diminishes foot and leg muscle strength causing pain and stiffness in the second or third decade of life if not earlier.

A 50 year follow up study of the Ponseti Method compared with surgery shows a quality of life equivalent to normal compared with that of a Parkinson’s sufferer for the post surgical clubfoot.

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