Does the Presence of Clubfoot delay the Onset of Walking?

Objective Congenital clubfoot (PTC) is a congenital orthopedic condition often requiring intensive treatment; little is known about the impact of such treatment on motor development. The present study assessed whether gait development is later in patients with PTC treated with the Ponseti method in comparison to a control group and analyzed possible related factors. Methods Patients born at term, < 6 months old, not submitted to previous treatment and with a minimum follow-up period of 24 months were included. The control group consisted of patients with no musculoskeletal disorders seen during the present study. Results The study group consisted of 97 patients, whereas the control group had 100 subjects. The mean age at gait start was 14.7 ± 3.2 months in the study group and 12.6 ± 1.5 months in the control group ( p < 0.05). Factors related to late gait included age at beginning of treatment > 3 weeks, number of plaster cast changes > 7, recurrence and nonperformance of Achilles tenotomy. Age at beginning of treatment > 3 weeks was related to a greater number of plaster cast changes. Gender and laterality were not related to late gait development. Conclusion Congenital clubfoot patients treated with the Ponseti method show independent walking approximately 2 months later than the control group. Delayed treatment, higher number of plaster cast changes, recurrence and nonperformance of Achilles tenotomy were related to late gait.