Ultrasound Assessment of Achilles Tendon-Neurovascular Distance in Infants With Unilateral Clubfoot

Idiopathic clubfoot is a congenital deformity affecting the musculoskeletal structure of the foot .The Ponseti method remains the gold standard for its correction, culminating with a percutaneous Achilles tenotomy (1). Treatment of clubfoot with the Ponseti method has improved anatomical and functional results and reduced the number of surgical interventions required (4,7). In 80-90% of cases, a percutaneous tenotomy of the Achilles tendon is needed at 3-4 months of age, if the equinus position of the foot persists after corrective casts, and if the dorsiflexion of the ankle is less than 10º (7). The surgery is often performed as an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia and seems to be low risk. However, a complication rate of up to 4 % has been recorded , and the complications include pseudoaneurysm, necrosis, or gangrene of the foot that underwent intervention (7). The safety of this procedure critically depends on the spatial relationship between the Achilles tendon and adjacent neurovascular structures (6). Our objective is to study the use of ultrasound (US)- Doppler before Achilles tendon tenotomy bilaterally to determine the distance between the tendon and the posterior tibial neurovascular bundle in infants with unilateral clubfoot .

Inclusion criteria

• Infants aged 1-6 months
• Unilateral clubfoot deformity and a normal opposite foot

Exclusion criteria

• Non-idiopathic or syndromic clubfoot
• Previous foot surgery , contralateral foot deformity