Orthopedics

Foot Abnormalities and Clubfoot Program

The Foot Abnormalities and Clubfoot Program at Tufts Medical Center provides personalized care for children with foot, ankle and leg abnormalities, including clubfoot. In caring for children with clubfoot, we use the Ponseti Method, the gold standard in clubfoot treatment.

Our approach includes advanced surgical and non-surgical care from leading orthopedists as well as doctors in other pediatric specialties, all of whom are attending (supervising) physicians.

Disorders we treat include:

  • In toes, out toes, flat feet and other problems that affect normal walking
  • Metatarsus adductus (crooked forefoot)
  • Differences in leg length
  • Knock knees and bowed legs
  • Syndactyly (webbed toes), polydactyly (extra toes) and missing toes

No matter the condition, our goal is to help your child enjoy a future that’s comfortable and mobile.

The Ponseti Method

If your child is diagnosed with clubfoot during pregnancy, we schedule a pre-delivery consultation to educate you about the condition and to alleviate your concerns. In most cases, we begin treatment shortly after your baby’s delivery. Typically we use the Ponseti Method, a gentle, non-surgical program of casting and splinting that helps children achieve a functional, normally shaped foot more than 90% of the time.

Learn more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of clubfoot, the Ponseti Method and pediatric foot disorders from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of America.

We understand that clubfoot and other foot abnormalities can be upsetting, but with the right care, your child can lead a happy, independent and fulfilling life. In fact, John Elway, Mia Hamm and Kristi Yamaguchi were born with clubfoot, and all of them have become world-class competitors in their sports.

At our program, we’ll counsel you every step along the way because we not only care for children, we care for their families too. 

Individualized treatment from leading orthopedists

Our team is led by Pediatric Orthopaedics Chief Stuart V. Braun, MD, who has managed care for thousands of children with clubfoot and other abnormalities of the foot, ankle and leg since 2004. His years of experience enable him to diagnose foot conditions from the common to the rare, a challenge because every child’s growth and development unfolds differently.

Our approach to treating your child is unique as he or she is. We design a personalized treatment plan that covers not only your child’s foot abnormality but his or her total health. For disorders needing surgery, we work closely with other experienced orthopedic surgeons. For example, we regularly perform complex ligament reconstructions with the adult orthopedic surgeons at Tufts Medical Center.