About World Clubfoot Day
June 3rd is officially World Clubfoot Day, an initiative of the Ponseti International Association to commemorate the birthday of Ignacio Ponseti, the pioneer of the Ponseti technique for clubfoot.
What is Clubfoot?
Clubfoot is a complex, congenital deformity of the foot caused by the abnormal development of a baby’s bones, ligaments and muscles whilst in the womb.
Visually, the foot affected by clubfoot appears to be twisted inwards and downwards. The foot will be shorter than a normal foot and the calf muscles of the affected limb will be smaller. The deformity will feel ‘fixed’ – not able to be corrected manually and will not resolve on its own.
Around the world, 150,000 – 200,000 babies with clubfoot are born each year. Approximately 80% of these will be in low and middle income countries. The incidence of clubfoot varies around the world.
Without treatment, the clubfoot deformity causes a lifetime of disability as the affected individual experiences pain and difficulty in walking. People with untreated clubfoot find it difficult to access education, employment and experience exclusion from society.
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