Exploring the Causes of Clubfoot Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI

Clubfoot is a medical condition of the foot known to doctors as "Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV)", which affects at least 2 per 1000 Scottish births (ISD data). Affected babies are born with one or both feet in an abnormal position. Treatment with plaster casts, and occasionally with surgery, is necessary to get the foot into a normal position.

We know from our animal and clinical studies and published work that the normal processes of development of the foot continue through pregnancy and postnatally. Clubfoot has never been studied by MRI antenatally in humans, and examination of the foot before birth may offer aetiological clues, not apparent from a single postnatal scan. Additionally, robust information that will help to understand which features of clubfoot in utero predict a truly affected fetus could be very useful for the clinical care of those suspected to be affected at a 20 week scan. This study will provide preliminary data to determine whether the usefulness of MRI in this context should be explored in future studies.

Inclusion criteria

Group A - pregnancies suspected to be affected by clubfoot on detailed scan. Group B - neonates / infants with clubfoot. Age Preferably under 3 months). Group C - neonates / infants without clubfoot.Preferably under 3 months). Group D- young adults who have undergone treatment for clubfoot and are not undergoing further active treatment. Age range 14-30 years.

Group E - young adults without known lower limb pathology. Age 14-30 years.

Exclusion criteria

For all groups the exclusion criteria are any contraindication to MRI scanning.