Comparative Study of the Results of Treatment of Idiopathic Congenital Club Foot by Accelerated Versus the Standard Ponseti Method

Open Access

Abstract

Background: Congenital idiopathic clubfoot is a prevalent musculoskeletal congenital anomaly. The Ponseti technique is the conventional treatment, while the accelerated Ponseti technique seeks to reduce the length of treatment. Since no Bangladeshi research has evaluated these two approaches, this study sought to compare their results in terms of treatment length, number of casts applied, requirement for Achilles tenotomy, and ultimate Pirani score. Methods & Materials: This comparative prospective study involved 20 infants diagnosed with idiopathic congenital clubfoot, treated with either the accelerated Ponseti method (n=10) or the traditional Ponseti method (n=10). Outcomes of treatments were analyzed regarding treatment length, number of casts used, necessity for Achilles tenotomy, and ultimate Pirani score. Data were examined using SPSS-23, with P <0.05 regarded as statistically significant. Results: Both groups had comparable baseline demographic and clinical characteristics and achieved similar deformity correction, number of casts required, need for Achilles tenotomy, and final Pirani scores. Excellent clinical outcomes were observed in both groups. However, the accelerated Ponseti method significantly reduced the overall treatment duration compared with the standard Ponseti method (P = 0.007) while maintaining comparable clinical outcomes. Conclusion: The accelerated Ponseti method is as effective as the standard Ponseti method in correcting idiopathic congenital clubfoot while significantly reducing treatment duration, making it a safe and efficient alternative for clinical practice.