Innovation in clubfoot management using 3D anatomical mapping
Idiopathic clubfoot is one the most common congenital deformities of the lower extremity. Its incidence is reported to be 1-2 cases per 1000 live births.
While clubfoot is relatively common and the treatment is highly successful, the weekly visits required for Ponseti casting can be a significant burden on families. Researchers at Children’s National Hospital are looking for a way to relieve that burden with a new study that could eliminate the weekly visits with a series of 3D-printed casts that families can switch out at home. The study, presented at the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference 2022, uses a novel photogrammetry method to gather 3D surface images of infant clubfoot anatomy and assess the foot position and correction.
Even better, this approach captures the images without additional radiation exposure.
“We’re not changing the gold standard of Ponseti casting, we’re adding to it,” says Sean Tabaie, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon at Children’s National and one of the study’s authors. “The more families we have in this study the greater the potential to move this field forward.”
Read more about the study, Development of a novel photogrammetry method for acquiring 3D surface models of infant clubfoot anatomy.
