OBJECTIVE: To review radiographic aspects of idiopathic congenital clubfeet operated on and compare them to the surgical results achieved. METHODS: The sample include 68 congenital clubfeet that were operated on with posteromedial, and/or lateral release of the soft parts. The age at the time of surgery varied from 6 to 24 months, and post-operative follow-up lasted from 1 to 16 years, with a mean of 4.87 years. At the time of evaluating results, anteroposterior and profile X-rays with charge were made of the feet, and the talus-calcaneus, talus-first metatarsus, and calcaneus-fifth metatarsus angles were plotted. A review was also made of the percentage movement backwards of the fibula onto the tibia, and the relation of the tibia and the navicular position in relation to the talus in both radiographic plans. RESULTS: 90.8% satisfactory results and 9.2% unsatisfactory results were obtained. The mean talus-calcaneus angle in the anteroposterior X-ray was 23.20º, and it was 23.20º in the profile X-ray, with no statistical significance. The talus-first metatarsus angle presented a mean of 4.84º, and the calcaneus-fifth metatarsus angle had a mean of 7.70º, both correlating to the results (P = 0.003). The percentage movement backwards of the fibula onto the tibia had a mean value of 60.67% (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: 1º) When they were wider than 10º and 12º, the respective angles of the talus-first metatarsus in the anteroposterior X-rays, and of the calcaneus-fifth metatarsus in anteroposterior X-rays were significant for those clubfeet that had unsatisfactory results; 2º) the better the navicular alignment in relation to the talus in anteroposterior X-rays and in profile X-rays, the better the results; 3º) the percent relation of the backwards movement of the fibula onto the tibial was higher in those feet with unsatisfactory results; 4º) in anteroposterior and in profile X-rays, the talus-calcaneus angle did not show to be a good parameter to evaluate the results of idiopathic congenital clubfoot treatment.
Clubfoot; Clubfoot; Foot deformities, congenital; Foot deformities, congenital; Treatment outcome
