What Do Kristi Yamguchi, King Tut and Troy Aikman All Have in Common?

Question: What do Kristi Yamaguchi, King Tut, and Troy Aikman all have in common? 

Answer: They were all born with fetal clubfoot. 

It is a fairly common birth defect that occurs in 1 out of every 1000 live births. Other notable people who were born with clubfoot are Damon Wayans, Gary Burghoff, New Orleans Saint’s Tom Dempsey, Lord Byron, and Mia Hamm.  

Fetal clubfoot is a disease where a child’s feet are misshapen. There are many types of clubfoot and they are jointly called talipes. Talipes equino varus is the most common type of clubfoot, which is characterized by the foot pointing downwards, and tipped inwards towards the ankle. This type of clubfoot can be seen in both feet or sometimes just in one. This birth defect occurs in males more often than females by a ratio of 2:1.

This condition effects all portions of the foot including the bones, muscles, blood vessels, and tendons. Clubfoot contains all of the same anatomical makings as a normal child’s foot making it fairly easy to treat. This becomes evident when you think of celebrities such as Kristi Yamaguchi and Troy Aikman who started with a deformity and became the groundbreaking athletes they are now known as.  

Podiatrists and physical therapists treat clubfoot by the manipulation of the foot.  Different types of bracings often aid to this manipulation. The foot is gradually reshaped by casts, braces, splints, and ankle foot orthoses (AFO) braces. In North America the most common treatment using these braces and castings is called the Ponseti-Method. This treatment is usually begun within the first week after the child is born because the foot can be more easily molded early in life. This method typically requires 5 different casts over a 4 week period and if done correctly has a 90% success rate.

Custom made braces usually are worn for a year after the initial treatment and custom made shoes are also recommended to help position the foot in the correct manner. It is so important for a child to be given the opportunity to walk and run, or even become an outstanding athlete like some of the people listed above.

At our offices we supply custom made braces and shoes to help someone suffering from this birth defect lead a normal life. We also have our on site physical therapist who is able to assist in this process. If you know someone who is suffering from this please give us a call so we are able to help.