Clubfoot Orthotic William Porter Alexis Wickwire Erika Franzen Dr. Morey Moreland 02/08/2005

1
Clubfoot OrthoticWilliam PorterAlexis
WickwireErika FranzenDr. Morey
Moreland02/08/2005
2
What is Clubfoot?

• Talipes Equinovarus
• Congenital Deformity or acquired condition
• Affects bones, joints, muscles, and blood vessels
  
• Occurs once per 1000 live births is the U.S.
• The foot is pointing downwards and twisted
  inwards

3
More Facts on Clubfoot

• 100,000 born each year in the world
• 5 to 7 times more children born with it in third
  world countries
• Almost half babies born with the condition have
  bilateral clubfoot

• In Uganda
• 10,000 current cases
• 1,000 born each year
• Only one trained surgeon to treat condition
• Need a non surgical answer to the condition

4
Treatment Options

• Physiotherapy - The aim is to stretch the
  ligaments and tendons into the correct position.
• Strapping - Strips of adhesive strapping are
  passed around the foot, up the sides of the leg,
  and over the top of the knee, to hold the foot in
  a corrected position. This is usually done
  weekly, following some physiotherapy.
• Plaster fixation - The surgeon manipulates the
  foot into position, and holds it in place with
  plaster. This needs to be repeated about every
  week for 3 to 6 months.
• Ponseti Method - The treatment involves weekly
  stretching of the foot deformity in the clinic,
  followed by the application of long leg plaster
  casts. The cast is changed every 1 or 2 weeks.
  The physician may performs a tenotomy, an
  Achilles tendon lengthening using non-invasive
  surgery.
• Splinting - There are different types of splint
  available that may be worn just at night, or for
  most of the time.
• Most reports only show a success rates of less
  than 50.
• Almost all of the treatments need to be followed
  by a braces to hold the foot in the correct
  position for an extend period of time.

5
An infant with bilateral clubfoot

• An infant with unilateral clubfoot

An infant being treated with castings
6
Current Braces

• Problems with current braces
• Expensive (200 to 300)
• Uncomfortable
• Hard to keep children in them
• Parents will allow kids to take it off because
  cause discomfort
• They do not keep feet at optimal position
• DBB both feet must be kept in brace

• Wheaton Brace

• Dennis Brown Bar

7
The Primary Objectives

•      
• Fabricate an orthotic device to successfully
  treat patients (approximate age 1-3 years)
• Improve comfort and wearability of the orthosis
• Formulate a design to prevent distraction of the
  foot from the orthosis, as commonly occurs with
  currently marketed devices
• Construct a more economical device for
  non-invasive treatment to a costly health
  condition

8
Achievements to Date

• Guidance by Dr. Moreland on the condition and
  current methods of treatment
• Decided on a preliminary design
• Contacted companies about buying portions of the
  prototype from standard orthotic parts
• Obtained a Dennis Brown Bar to examine and model
  our device after

9
Conditions for Success

• Hard to find a infant with clubfoot to test
  prototype
• If the brace
• Holds the foot in the correct position for extend
  periods of time
• Comfortable for infant to wear
• Cheaper than other braces on the market

10
Personal Role

• Brainstorm possible redesigns of device
• Construct prototype
• Drawings of possible redesigns
• Implement validation and verification protocols
  on the prototype
• Clinical evaluation of prototype

11
Questions

• ?