Correcting your child's clubfoot begins with a series of casts and ends with a brace.
After the foot's position is corrected in the casting phase, it must be maintained in the bracing phase for up to 5 years. The Ponseti clubfoot brace keeps the corrected foot growing like it should. If the brace isn't worn as directed, a corrected clubfoot will return to its original position (this is called a relapse).
The orthopedic care team will teach you how to put on your baby's shoes and then attach them to the brace. First, they'll show you how to do this on a doll until you feel confident in your abilities. Older kids and other family members might also want to learn how to do this.
It's important to be sure your baby's feet are positioned correctly in the shoes or boots. Here's how:
As the care team showed you, look through the holes in the back of the shoe to make sure that the heels are all the way down and back. You should not be able to wiggle the feet in the shoes.
When both shoes are on, attach the bar. The shoes alone won't keep your child's feet in place — they need to be connected to the bar to stay corrected.
On the bottom of the bar, look for an R and an L for your child's right foot and left foot. Numbers on the bottom of the bar tell you how far your child's feet are turned out when in the brace. Your doctor will prescribe the correct angle for your child's feet, but usually a clubfoot will face out at 60 degrees and a non-clubfoot will be placed at 30 degrees.
Slide the bar into the groove in the bottom of the shoes and click into place.
To take the bar off the shoes, just press on the tab that says "Push" while gently pulling the bar out. Most parents find it easier to take the bar off before taking the shoes off.
Reviewed by: L. Reid Nichols, MD
Date Reviewed: 25-03-2017