Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 I don't know how much help I can be since I'm a beginner at this, but from what I have read/heard, " half " casts really do NOT help at all with correction. The Ponseti method clearly states that long leg casts are to be used...the entire leg/knee needs to be stabilized. Is the ortho you have been seeing listed on Dr. Ponseti's list of qualified doctors? If not, my suggestion is to take your daughter to a Ponseti certified doctor. I know how hard it is to go through the whole treatment process only to have to start over again. If I understood correctly, you mentioned that your daughter came out of the brace at one year old? Or is it that she went to night times only? lskjold wrote: Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). She has been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local orthos with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. She now only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots coming off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left foot had tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). She is crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a year. Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and it is bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) and want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery--has anyone had the half casts with recasting? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 My daughter had casting at 2.5 years old for a relapse. She had one two week cast applied by Dr. Ponseti that was the typical thigh-high, bent 90 degrees at the knee, Ponseti cast. The one cast recorrected her foot and she went back into her brace. She wore the brace for 16-18 hours a day for the next year and then 10-12. She has 5 more months and she is allowed to stop wearing her brace. She will be one month short of turning 5 when she stops wearing it. I would say that her relapse cast was successful since she has had no need for further treatment other than wearing the brace. Hope that helps! Jen & Livie (10-18-01 severe left clubfoot) Relapse at one year Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). She has been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local orthos with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. She now only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots coming off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left foot had tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). She is crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a year. Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and it is bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) and want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery--has anyone had the half casts with recasting? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Share Posted March 30, 2006 Hi and welcome, Sorry to hear that your little girl has been having difficulties! So her feet were coming out of the shoes for several weeks? Did your doc/ortho take any action when Lillian was having these issues? Well regardless, there are quite a few shoe expert mommas here who have been through it all so we can get that part figured out and make sure her brace is set up properly NO problem There is a tips and tricks doc. in the files section that is like a bible to us here for shoe application/wear LOL. Also there is a link to Dr. Ponseti's web site under the links section, you should take a peek, lots of great info and he also talks about the importance of full length casts. However, before we deal with the shoe issues, you do need to make sure that her feet are being corrected properly. If a foot hasn't been fully corrected, the shoes will never work, they only hold the corrected feet after all. There are a few 'red flags' in your message that make me think that it would be wise to get a second opinion for Lillian's feet from a qualified Ponseti doctor. Where are you located? Someone here will be able to recommend a qualified doctor in your area. The fact that your doctor has applied knee length casts on Lillian is a mojor red flag, they just don't work! A good Ponseti doctor would not use them, proper correction just cannot be achieved in them. In order to get the foot out to the desired 70 degree outward rotation AND get the amount of dorsiflexion needed (the ability to bend the foot upwards toward the knee) a full length cast Must be used. Lillian is still well within the age range where her foot will be able to be fixed quite easily in the right hands, try not to worry. We just need to get her in some better hands. I am sure some of the other parents will tell you some of their stories, rest assured many many here have switched doctors and seen just amazing results very quickly. Glad you're here and we will help you get Lillian's little tootsies all straightened out! & Grace 20mos urcf FAB (foot abduction brace also refered to as the DBB) 13hrs > > Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). She has > been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local orthos > with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. She now > only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots coming > off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left foot had > tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). She is > crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a year. > Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and it is > bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) and > want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery--has anyone > had the half casts with recasting? > > Thank you. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 THANK YOU for your replies. I can't believe I found this awesome resource so late...we already have had one tough year under our belt but better late than never. After reading about Ponseti's approach to relapses, I am concerned about our ortho's treatment (although he did his residency at Iowa, he is not under the approved/recommended practitioners list at University of Iowa). I e-mailed Dr. Ponseti with Lily's history and he agreed to see her. Yeah! I am excited to get the best care possible for her. Some of you who are far far away may laugh at this but I live an hour from Iowa City yet just had her seen by the local orthos guy. Lily is supposed to be in her half casts for another week and a half, which is annoying now that I understand that they probably are not successful. But am so excited to get her seen at Iowa. Am also excited to learn (through links here) that there is an accepted alternative (better perhaps) than the Markell boots with which we have had so many problems. THANK YOU for your responses and for links to valid articles. I had no idea that there our practitioner was not strictly adhering to the Ponseti method, but now I see other red flags than the half casts...i.e. only 10 days in casting following her tenotomy. Not to mention the 2 dozen times I have seen the orthotic fellow to get help with boot fittings. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! what an awesome community. Will post after she is seen at the University of Iowa. I can't wait--I have hope! > > > > Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). She > has > > been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local > orthos > > with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. She > now > > only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots > coming > > off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left foot > had > > tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). She > is > > crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a > year. > > Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and it > is > > bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) and > > want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery--has > anyone > > had the half casts with recasting? > > > > Thank you. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 , We are just thrilled to hear that you live so close to Iowa City and Dr. Ponseti (and a little jealous I might add lol)! Dr. Ponseti and his dedicated team will have your Lily's feet fixed in NO time You are gonna love him and his staff. So when is your appt.? I am so excited for you to finally see her feet fully corrected!!!!! Please keep us updated OK?! Big Smiles, & Grace > > > > > > Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). > She > > has > > > been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local > > orthos > > > with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. > She > > now > > > only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots > > coming > > > off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left > foot > > had > > > tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). > She > > is > > > crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a > > year. > > > Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and > it > > is > > > bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) > and > > > want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery-- has > > anyone > > > had the half casts with recasting? > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 , Can I ask where in Iowa you are? We are also from Iowa and our 1st ortho did not follow the Ponseti method to a " T " . We also see Dr. Ponseti. Thanks Tabitha wrote: , We are just thrilled to hear that you live so close to Iowa City and Dr. Ponseti (and a little jealous I might add lol)! Dr. Ponseti and his dedicated team will have your Lily's feet fixed in NO time You are gonna love him and his staff. So when is your appt.? I am so excited for you to finally see her feet fully corrected!!!!! Please keep us updated OK?! Big Smiles, & Grace > > > > > > Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). > She > > has > > > been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local > > orthos > > > with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. > She > > now > > > only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots > > coming > > > off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left > foot > > had > > > tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). > She > > is > > > crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost a > > year. > > > Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her and > it > > is > > > bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) > and > > > want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery-- has > > anyone > > > had the half casts with recasting? > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 31, 2006 Report Share Posted March 31, 2006 Hi Tabitha. We are in the Quad Cities. I wonder if we had the same doctor. Amazing what a difference just a little variation from the Ponseti method can make. May I ask why you decided to change doctors? > > > > > > > > Our daughter has congenital bilateral clubfeet (born 4/15/05). > > She > > > has > > > > been treated using the " Poseti " method since birth by our local > > > orthos > > > > with casting, tenotomy (at three months), and Denis Brown bar. > > She > > > now > > > > only wears the bar at night. After several weeks of the boots > > > coming > > > > off, Lillian went to the ortho today and her heel on the left > > foot > > > had > > > > tightened. She is in casts to her knees (to keep her mobile). > > She > > > is > > > > crawling and pulling up but has not walked yet. She is almost > a > > > year. > > > > Has anyone had success with recasting? I am nervous for her > and > > it > > > is > > > > bit sadder the second time around (she loves being on the move) > > and > > > > want to make sure I am being aggressive in avoiding surgery-- > has > > > anyone > > > > had the half casts with recasting? > > > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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