IDIOPATHIC FOREFOOT-ADDUCTION DEFORMITY - MEDIAL CAPSULOTOMY AND ABDUCTOR HALLUCIS LENGTHENING FOR RESISTANT AND SEVERE DEFORMITIES

Between February 1981 and March 1993, 18 children (29 feet) with resis tant forefoot adduction underwent medial capsulotomy and abductor hall ucis lengthening for correction. There were 12 feet with metatarsus ad ductus (two simple, 10 complex) and 17 feet with skewfoot (15 simple a nd two complex). The mean age at the time of operation was 3.6 years ( range, 9 months-5.5 years). When seen 3.6 years (range, 1-8) after sur gical correction, all of them showed an improved talo-first metatarsal angle. Two children complained of pain in the foot, and one child had persistent difficulty with shoe fitting. We conclude that medial caps ulotomy and abductor hallucis lengthening is a simple procedure that i s effective in improving metatarsus adductus deformity.