Purpose of the study: The study present one of the possible surgical strategies of the therapy of the congenital varus club foot in the youngest patients, most frequently in infants and toddlers. This strategy is used in rigid varus club feet of Dimegli Group 1 and 2. It is possible also to use it in the rebelling varus club feet, however, the reconstruction is more difficult in these cases.
Material: In the period of 1983-2000 the method of posteroplantar release was used 93 times, of which 59 times as a primary surgery and 34 times during revision surgery. The youngest patients were 8 months old, the oldest children were during the revision surgery 8 years old.
Methods: In case of the persisting adduction and varus deformity after conservative therapy of the congenital varus club foot first of all plantar release of the forefoot was performed and subsequently from a slightly oblique longitudinal approach a radical posterior capsulotomy with the lengthening of the Achilles tendon, by means of talocalcanear reduction with transfixation by K-wires. Plaster of Paris is applied during 3 months after the operation with the replacement of correction plaster casts after each 3-4 weeks. The shortest interval after the surgery was 9 months. The group comprised 47 patients (in total 62 feet).
Results: The followed-up group of patients was examined clinically with the simultaneous evaluation of radiographs. Excellent result--anatomical position of the foot was obtained in 68%, good result was recorded in 26%. Poor result was recorded in 2 patients in bilateral varus club foot with meningomyelocele. Radiographs showed during the evaluation of the mutual position of talus and calcaneus an increase of the angle in the lateral projection on average by 12 degrees, in anteroposterior projection by 10 degrees.
Discussion: The numbers of patients, indication and results of the followed-up group of patients are comporable with literary data. Excellent and good results of the posteroplantar release are even better than those of the complete release included in the literatury studies. The procedure starting by the release first the plantar structures is to a certain extent an original strategy. Usually after the operation on posterior structures the plantar release was used only subsequently in case of persisting adduction and varus deformity of the forefoot. Surgery even in case of a rebelling defect allows to use in future subsequent surgical procedures which is problematic after a complete release where there occurs in a certain percentage also necrosis of talus and calcaneus.
Conclusion: Posteroplantar release is one of the possible surgical procedures in the solution of the rigid congenital varus club foot. Although the operation may be included in the so called procedure of small steps in most patients it solves finally the defect.