HOW EFFECTIVE IS STEENBEEKS BRACE IN MAINTAINING CORRECTION IN CLUBFOOT AFTER PONSETI TREATMENT

Background: The term clubfoot refers to a variety of related congenital foot deformities. It is used interchangeably to refer to clubfoot deformities that are idiopathic, atypical, syndrome, and postural. Scales designed specifically for clubfoot, like the Pirani and Dimeglio Scales, are frequently used to categorize severity. Therefore, this study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Steenbeek Foot abduction brace (SFAB) to maintain the correction achieved.

Methodology: A Cross-sectional study conducted at CTEV Clinic, Department of Orthopaedic, NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur from the period of 1st Jan 2021 to 31st June 2022 with a sample size of 50 estimated through n = z²pq / d². Study participants include Child age- <=1.5 years and Unilateral / Bilateral Idiopathic Club Foot. Statistical analysis was done through IBM Software SPSS 21.0 and association was found with confidence Interval of 95% and p-value<0.05.

Results: Current study concluded that maximum are males (54%) with an age-group of <6 months (64%) presented Bilateral CTEV (60%). Furthermore, treatment effectiveness was highest in number with the significant association between treatment effective and sex (p-value<0.05). Meanwhile, relapse was found in females comparatively to males with no statistically association (p-value>0.05).

Conclusion: The desired goal of achieving minimal disability as a result of clubfoot can be assisted in its achievement by enhancing the education and counselling of parents, removing social barriers, strengthening the training of health providers, improving access to affordable braces, and eliminating social barriers.