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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffClubfoot typically causes no problems until your child starts to stand and walk. While your child's mobility may be slightly limited and the affected foot may be up to 1 1/2 shoe sizes smaller than the unaffected foot, treating clubfoot generally ends with your child having a relatively normal foot, both in the way it looks and functions.
Left untreated, however, clubfoot can become a burden. Not only is your child likely to have arthritis, but the unusual appearance of the foot may make body image a concern during the teen years. The twist of the ankle may not allow your child to walk on the soles of the feet. To compensate, he or she may walk on the balls of the feet, the outside of the feet or even the top of the feet in severe cases. These adjustments may inhibit natural growth of the calf muscles, cause large sores or calluses on the feet, and result in an awkward gait.
- Clubfoot. American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00255. Accessed Sept. 22, 2010.
- Clubfoot and other foot defects. March of Dimes. http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1211.asp. Accessed Sept. 22, 2010.
- Dobbs MB, et al. Update on clubfoot: Etiology and treatment. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. 2009;467:1146.
- Beaty JH. Congenital anomalies of the lower extremity. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/219666053-3/1057375123/1584/187.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50029-5--cesec34_1029. Accessed Sept. 22, 2010.
- Hoecker J (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 27, 2010.
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