The treatment of recurrent arthrogrypotic club foot in children by the Ilizarov method - A preliminary report

Between 1994 and 1997 we used the Ilizarov apparatus to treat 12 recurrent arthrogrypotic club feet in nine patients with a mean age of 5.3 years (3.2 to 7), After a mean of three weeks (two to seven) for correction of the de formity and 1.5 weeks (one to four) for stabilisation in the apparatus, imm obilisation in a cast was carried out for a mean of 14 weeks (7 to 24), The mean follow-up period was 35 months (27 to 57). Before operation there were one grade-II (moderate), eight grade-III (sever e) and three grade-IV (very severe) club feet, according to the rating syst em of Dimeglio et al, After operation, all the club feet except one were gr ade I(benign) with a painless, plantigrade platform. Radiological assessmen t and functional evaluation confirmed significant improvement. Two complica tions occurred in one patient, namely, epiphysiolysis of the distal tibia a nd recurrence of the foot deformity. These results suggest that our propose d modification of the Ilizarov technique is effective in the management of recurrent arthrogrypotic club foot in young children.