Comprehensive Clubfoot Clinic

Orthopedic experts at the Comprehensive Clubfoot Clinic have successfully treated hundreds of children born with clubfoot. We offer surgical options when needed, but we specialize in the Ponseti method, a nonsurgical treatment that uses gentle manipulation and a series of casts. The clinic is part of the nationally ranked Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center.

What Is Clubfoot?

Clubfoot is a congenital disorder, which means the condition is present at birth. Babies born with clubfoot have short, tight leg tendons. These connective tissues attach leg muscles to bones in the foot. Tension from overly tight tendons causes a baby’s foot (or sometimes both feet) to rotate inward. This rotation can be so severe that the child’s foot faces sideways or upward. Clubfoot looks awkward, but your child isn’t in pain.

Approximately one out of every 1,000 babies have clubfoot. There’s no known cause, although the condition sometimes runs in families. Left untreated, a child with clubfoot may become permanently disabled.

Comprehensive Clubfoot Clinic: Why Choose Us

We understand that it can be distressing to think about orthopedic treatments for your infant. At Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, your family has access to specialists who have dedicated their careers to treating clubfoot. We offer:

• Expert nonsurgical treatments: Our clubfoot specialist completed advanced training in the nonsurgical treatment of children's orthopedic problems, including mastering the Ponseti method — the gold standard of clubfoot treatment.
• Surgical options: Your child may need surgery if clubfoot is severe, doesn’t respond to nonsurgical methods or returns after treatment. Your child receives excellent care from orthopedic surgeons in our Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Program. Surgery involves repositioning bones, tendons and muscles in the foot. Your child will wear casts during recovery.
• Prenatal consultations: If an ultrasound shows that your unborn baby has clubfoot, we meet with you during pregnancy to discuss the condition and treatment options. This early step ensures your newborn starts treatment quickly.
• Convenient follow-up appointments: To achieve the desired results, we see your child frequently during the treatment process. Your family can visit one of our specialty care centers located throughout the county for follow-up care and foot braces. We see your child regularly until age 8. If your child’s foot starts to rotate again, we quickly address the problem.

Cast and Brace Services

The Ponseti method uses a series of casts to gently rotate your child’s foot back to the proper position. Some children with foot problems also need to wear special shoes, shoe inserts or leg braces. We have:

• Cast technicians trained in the Ponseti method
• Representatives from brace and medical device companies on-site

Other Foot Problems We Treat

In addition to clubfoot, we also treat:

• Flat foot
• Intoeing (pigeon toes)
• Vertical talus