Article

Clubfoot is one of the most frequent congenital malformations in the
world. Non-operative methods follows limiting surgery to a minimum. The modified
Copenhagen method has not been studied enough.
STUDY DESIGN: longitudinal
retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prognostic factors for clinical
rehabilitation with the modified Copenhagen method in a 10-year follow-up period.
METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on a 10-year follow-up of 82
children diagnosed with clubfoot at birth and treated with the modified
Copenhagen method. Their sex, side, severity, bilaterality, forefoot orientation,
and age when the nonoperative treatment was started were registered, and a
cluster analysis was performed to determine which variables were most significant
for predicting whether surgical treatment was needed. RESULTS: Of the clubfeet,
13.4% were grade I, 65.9% were grade II, and 20.7% were grade III according to
the Harrold and Walker classification. In total, 58 patients needed surgery at
some point during the follow-up period. The severity and talo-first metatarsal
angle made it possible to determine whether the patients required surgery in 68%
(56/82) of the cases. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest the
possibility of providing physicians with an algorithm which might facilitate
assessing whether the children will require surgery or not, depending on the data
obtained from the cluster analysis. Clinical relevance This study provides health
professionals with an algorithm that might facilitate assessing whether the
children will require surgery or not.

Langue : ANGLAIS