A 5-years results of the Ponseti method in the treatment of congenital clubfoot: a retrospective study

Background Clubfoot is a common congenital deformity affecting mobility of children. It leads to pain and disability. The Ponseti treatment method is non-surgical method for the correction of clubfoot. There is variation from country to country in how the result of clubfoot management is measured and reported. This study aimed to assess the 5-years results of the Ponseti method in the treatment of congenital clubfoot which was performed for children aged under 2 years in western Amhara, Ethiopia. Objectives The objective of this study was to assess a 5-years results of the Ponseti method in the treatment of congenital clubfoot among under 2-years old children in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir-Dar, Ethiopia, from 2015 to 2019 G.C. Methods A facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. After receiving letter of ethical clearance from the University, IRB board, the data were collected from medical record/charts of patients' who received Ponseti treatment, and the collected data were entered and analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21. The results were presented with texts and tables. Results A total of 200 children with 256 congenital clubfeet involved in the study. Among the total study subjects, 143 (71.5%) had unilateral clubfeet. The 5-years results of the Ponseti method in the treatment of congenital clubfoot conducted in 200 children with clubfeet were 187 (93.5%) with 95% (CI 90-99.5). Among the study participants, males were 66.5% (almost two times from females). Conclusions and recommendations According to the results from a 5-years data showed that the Ponseti method in the treatment of congenital clubfoot was successful with a success rate of 93.5%. We recommend that children with congenital clubfeet should be managed with Ponseti treatment method timely.