Plantar Pressure Distribution of Right and Left Foot in Bilateral Clubfoot Treated by Ponseti Method: A Correlation Analysis

BACKGROUND: Congenital clubfoot is a common pediatric orthopedic deformity that can be corrected by Ponseti method, and pedobarographic analysis has been used to assess the outcomes. However, the relationship between the plantar pressure distribution of the right and left foot in children with bilateral clubfoot has not been studied. In this study, the pedobarographic data of patients with bilateral clubfoot who were treated by the Ponseti method were reviewed, and a correlation analysis was conducted to clarify the relationship between the right and left foot. MATERIAL/METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study of children with bilateral clubfoot who were treated by the Ponseti method in infancy was performed, in which all the patients were available for clinical evaluation, and pedobarographic analysis was conducted on each patient after treatment. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) were calculated for all the measurements of the left and right foot. RESULTS: A total of 20 children (mean age 6.9±1.07 years, range 4–8 years) with bilateral clubfoot who were treated by the Ponseti method were included. The Dimeglio and Pirani scores before and after treatment between the right and left foot were significantly correlated. All the pedobarographic measurements between the left and right foot were correlated, indicating different degrees of positive correlation. CONCLUSIONS: The plantar pressure measurements between the 2 feet in patients with bilateral clubfoot were highly correlated before treatment, and a correlation was also observed after those patients were treated by the Ponseti method. We should take these correlations into consideration during study design and analysis of clubfoot cases.