Early start of Corrective bandages and daily manipulations effective for treating congenital vertical talus

Elia Utrilla Rodríguez et al conducted a study to analyze the results of a conservative method for treating congenital vertical talus in children with early start and to know in which cases surgical treatment was needed.

CVT treatment is commonly surgical and involves extensive soft tissue releases to allow restoration of the normal anatomical relationships between the bones of the foot. Extensive open surgical procedures are associated with a high rate of complications. The development of effective conservative therapeutic procedures has allowed improved correction and lower rates of surgical intervention, avoiding or reducing the potential long-term complications of surgical treatment.

A retrospective analysis of all children diagnosed with idiopathic vertical talus was carried out during the years 2008–2021. Thirty-two children (46 feet) were finally included.

Children were treated with serial manipulations, muscle stimulation, and corrective bandages. Once clinical correction was achieved, a foot and ankle orthosis (AFO) was applied at night for one year.

Age at the time of initiation of treatment, duration of treatment, and correction or not of the deformity without surgical intervention was recorded as variables of interest. The talocalcaneal angle, TAMBA, and ankle range of motion were measured before treatment, after treatment, and at the end of the follow-up period. Statistics decision tree was used to determine which variable best discriminated whether the patient needed surgery. To complement the tree diagram, a two-step cluster analysis was carried out.