Club Foot
Jennifer Harrison
Definition, symptoms
~Deformed foot that is twisted so that the sole cannot be placed flat on the ground. It is typically congenital or a result of polio.
~Painless in a baby it can eventually cause discomfort and become a noticeable disability. Left untreated, club foot does not straighten itself out.The foot will remain twisted out of shape, and the affected leg may be shorter and smaller than the other.
Genetics, diagnosis
~Common musculoskeletal disorder, several lines of evidence- family history, twins studies, and varying prevalence rates among different ethnic groups. not clear if it is genetic or not.
~A doctor recognizes club foot soon after birth just from looking at the shape and positioning of the new born feet.
Treatment, Prognosis
~Stretching and casting, stretching and taping, and surgery
~ Males are more likely to get club foot, 1 out of every 1000 babies are born with it.