Comparison between two types of abduction orthotics in treating congenital clubfoot

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the effectiveness of two types of abduction orthotics used for the feet, the Denis-Browne type (traditional) and the Dobbs type (dynamic), with regard to maintenance of deformity correction and prevention of recurrence. Method: In this comparative retrospective case study, information was collected from the medical records of children with idiopathic congenital clubfoot (CCF). We evaluated a total of 43 feet in 28 patients, which were divided into two groups. Group 1 was comprised of 16 patients with a total of 24 CCFs treated with the traditional orthotic device. Group 2 consisted of 12 patients with a total of 19 CCFs treated with the dynamic orthotic device. The statistical analysis used the ANOVA test to compare the categorical variables between the groups. A significance level of 5% was adopted (p-value ≤ 0.05). Results: In Group 1, recurrence was observed in 2 feet (8.33%), and in 1 foot in Group 2 (5.26%). No significant difference in effectiveness was seen between the two types of orthotic devices. Conclusion: Both abduction devices were seen to be effective in maintaining correction of congenital clubfoot deformities. There was no statistical significance between type of orthotic device and recurrence.