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| "Collin's Foot Story" |
| Collin with born on August 24, 2001. He was born with talipes equinovarus, a (unilateral) right clubfoot. It is a very common birth defect, which effects about 1 : 750 babies a year. From what I understand It occurs twice as often in boys then girls. There is a 50/50 chance of either having one or both feet affected. Talipes Equinovarus has been known about for many, many centuries...but is still very conteversial among doctors. "An affected foot points downward, with the toes turned inward and the bottom of the foot twisted inward. The foot bones, ankle joints, muscles, and ligaments may be abnormal. The heel cord often is very tight, makeing it impossible to bring the foot up to a normal position without a specialist's help." Although the disabling effects of clubfoot often may be prevented through early treatment, there is no method of preventing the defect at this time." Usually the clubfoot will always be smaller and from our experience chubbier then the non-clubfoot, and also the calf on the clubfoot leg will usually be more slender appearing then the non-clubfoot leg. Please remember I am just a mom not a doctor so everything I say is from my understanding and experience as Collin's mom. |
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| 1st cast: almost 2 weeks old 2nd cast: 2 weeks old 3rd cast: 1 month old surgery: 2 months old 4th cast: 2 months old 5th cast: 2.5 months old 6th cast: 3 months old 7th cast: 3.5 months old (stitches removed) 8th cast: 4 months old 9th cast: 4.5 months old cast free: 5 months old!!!!! Then: KAFO brace, (thigh-high plastic brace w/ velcro straps) during the day. And DBB (shoes attached to a bar) at night. Started Walking: AFO brace during day & DBB at night, (did this for almost a year) Relapsed: I noticed in the summer before Collin's 2nd birthday his foot was starting to turn in again. We decided to switch methods to the Ponseti method. In October of 2003 we found out that are insticts were right & Collin was relapsing. Collin went into 2 long leg corrective casts for 2 weeks each. He will be wearing corrective shoes during the day now (straight last boots- he is wearing them in his x-mas photo), and continuing with the DBB at night. What we learned: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! And do lots of research...we are so happy it led us to begin the Ponseti Method at 2 years old! 1/9/04 - Collin will still wear DBB at night, during the day he will now be wearing a reverse last boot on his right foot, and continue with the straight last boot on his left foot. 5/7/04 - Back in full leg cast again, surgery has been mentioned (an external fixator)...AHHH! Trying to do more research. 8/20/04 - Still wearing DBB at night & corrective shoes during day... 9/4/04 - Collin will participate in a clubfoot synopsism in Baltimore, MD with a panel of international doctors along with his doctor. 1/05 - Collin needs to have an external fixator, we are doing research. This was mentioned last 5/04 also. 3/18/05 - Collin still needs the fixator, a taylor spatial frame. I belive it involves 4 weeks in long leg casts, surgery to put on the fixator & a few days in the hospital, wear it 10-12 weeks, surgery to remove it, long leg casts for a few weeks. Then a KAFO (see photo from above he had one when he was really little) for about a year. Also he will need physical therapy approx. 3 X's per week plus 2 X's per day with us. I will update once we schedule the process to begin. We hope to schedule within the next 6 months so the whole process will be over before kindegarden!!! Collin is 3.5 years old We went for a second opinion click here and his updates continue we are just running out of room on this page!!!! Updated 5/19/06. |
| Collin's clubfoot treatment |
| This is Collin's night brace (DBB), he began wearing it at 5 months old, & he wore it almost everynight until he was about 3.5 years old. The older he became the more of a challenge we had keeping it on him. |
| This was Collin's 1st type of day brace an KAFO. . |
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| I belive this frame is similar to the one Collin needs, however it would be in a different position on him. |