Congenital talipes equinovarus

Abstract

Congenital talipes equino varus (CTEV) also called as club foot is a very common congenital deformity of the foot. Despite the many advances, we know very little about the etiology of this deformity. Higher incidence in families having previous history suggests some genetic predisposition. The typical deformities of the foot are hind foot varus, equinus and fore foot adduction with cavus. Conservative management of club foot by serial casting and manipulation has become a gold standard after the introduction of Ponseti technique. Inspite of best efforts some are resistant to nonoperative management, especially in countries like ours where delayed presentation is not so uncommon. Such cases are better addressed by soft tissue release surgeries. Neglected cases presenting late in the walking age group do need more extensive surgeries ranging from external fixators to triple arthrodesis. Despite of our current knowledge of this deformity, a lot of research is needed to establish the true etiology and to develop new treatment modalities to prevent its incidence.