An expert in club foot management, Dr. Olayinka Adegbehingbe, has urged Nigerians not to take the club foot as fate, but rather seek ways of correcting the health condition.
Adegbehingbe spoke at a ceremony on Friday to commemorate the 2016 World Club Foot Day in Nigeria, adding that progress was being made to get other ways to correct the condition apart from invasive surgery, which was expensive.
The expert, who is also the Coordinator of Nigerian & West African Clubfoot Study Group, noted that the congenital deformity affects almost 150,000 children annually, stressing that about 80 per cent of the children live in developing nations, including Nigeria.
He said, “Many experts are now willing to use Ponseti method; a technique that corrects club foot without invasive surgery.
“Club foot is a worldwide synonym for Talipes Equinovarus, a congenital limb deformity that has added to the burdens of families and communities.
“The need for a cheaper management of this condition has necessitated the adoption of the Ponseti method of treatment, which is a low-cost, low- technology, non-invasive method of club foot treatment that is known to have recorded excellent success rate globally.”
Adegbehingbe explained that the treatment of club foot was based on the inherent properties of the connective tissue, cartilage, and bone, which responded to the proper mechanical stimuli created by the gradual reduction of the deformity. He stated that the ligaments, joint capsules, and tendons were stretched under gentle manipulations and a plaster cast was applied after each manipulation to retain the degree of correction and soften the ligaments. He said the displaced bones were thus gradually brought into the correct alignment with their joint surfaces progressively remodelled.
“After two months of manipulation and casting, the foot appears slightly over-corrected but after a few weeks in splints however, the foot looks normal.
“The non-operative treatment will succeed better if it is started a few days or weeks after birth and if the podiatrist understands the nature of the deformity and possesses the manipulative skill and expertise in plaster-cast applications,” Adegbehingbe added.
He noted that a national guideline on club foot management had been developed as part of efforts to implement the strategy of reducing long-term effects of the condition, adding that the guideline was practical and rich in scientific information.
Adegbehingbe solicited the support of all stakeholders, especially the media, to help sensitise the public to overcome myths and misunderstandings about the causes of club foot and to seek treatment.
By: Sesan Olufowobi
Punch News
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