Outcome of the Ponseti method in treatment of Idopathic clubfoot in infants in Tanzania

Assessment of the outcome of the Ponseti Method of treatment of congenital club foot in infants in Tanzania
WALTER A. TUNI

Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) - Disability Hospital/Dar es Salaam, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, P.O.Box 23310, Dar es Salaam: Email: wtuni2003@yahoo.com,
Web: www.ccbrt.or.tz



Abstract
Purpose. The Ponseti method has been demonstrated to be an effective method of treatment for congenital idiopathic clubfoot .To my knowledge; no study has been done to assess the potential outcome of this method in Tanzania. The purpose of this study is to assess the outcome of the Ponseti method in the treatment in Tanzania. Method. Consecutive case series were retrospectively selected from the period January 2002 to December 2006. Fifty subjects (34, male and 16 female) with 79 clubfeet were assessed. Serial manipulation and casting were performed to all as described by Ponseti. Pirani total score before and after treatment was compared.
Results. Before treatment (Mean clinical total score = 4.7, mean clinical midfoot score = 2.1, mean clinical hind foot score = 2.5).After treatment, Mean total scores =1.8, mean midfoot score = 0.9 and mean hind foot score = 0.9), SD 0.757 with mean number of casts required was 4 to 6 per foot Sixty six feet (83.5%) responded to treatment.. Conclusions The method has proved successful rate of 83.5%, those initiated treatment >7 months, underwent reconstructive surgery. These results indicate that, the technique is cheap and easy to adapt. I recommend the method to other treatment centres in Tanzania
Keywords: Clubfoot, Ponseti, outcome Tanzania.