Club foot management: open bony correction

Abstract

As reported in History Page 10, application of the Thomas wrench and similar instruments, particularly Grattan’s tarsoclast, corrected club foot by closed fracture and epiphyseal injury.’ With the establishment of aseptic surgical techniques in the 1890s open bony correction became safe and rational for older children and adults with fixed skeletal deformities. Often soft tissue and bony procedures were required synchronously.’ Recently, the gradual instrumental correction of fixed deformity by Ilizarov’s distractor offers an alternative approach avoiding closed fractures or open bony surgery.j