Long-term results of pediatric treatment of congenital vertical talus

Objective To review long-term results of congenital vertical talus treated with classical techniques and a minimally invasive treatment approach offered by M. Dobbs. Material and methods Review of 30 pediatric cases (54 feet) with severe congenital convex pes valgus was performed over the period of 11 years. Patient ages ranged from 1 month to 13 years at the start of treatment. The 54 primary operations performed included triple arthrodesis (n = 2), open talus reduction according to S.J. Kumar, K.R. Cowell, D.L. Ramsey (n = 5), Coleman open reduction of the talus and screw fixation (n = 6), serial casting and percutaneous fixation of the talonavicular joint with a Kirschner wire and a percutaneous Achilles tendon tenotomy (n = 41). Reduction of the talus was produced under vision and followed by capsuloplasty of 23 feet. C-arm was used for closed correction in the rest of the cases. Results A minimally invasive Dobbs approach that consisted in serial casting, minimal surgery followed by bracing was shown to provide favorable outcomes in 21 patients (41 feet) treated at early childhood...