Ponseti Casting

The Ponseti method is the internationally recognised gold standard for treating congenital clubfoot (talipes equinovarus) in newborns, developed by the American orthopaedist Ignacio Ponseti in the mid-20th century. It is a non-surgical approach: the deformity is corrected not by surgery but by gradually and gently guiding the foot into the correct position and then maintaining the result. Treatment proceeds through three sequential phases — a series of staged casts, a minimally invasive Achilles release (tenotomy) and consolidation of the achieved correction with an abduction brace; the mechanics and timelines of each phase are detailed below. The method's key advantages are high effectiveness with minimal intervention, the absence of major surgery and a low risk of relapse when the brace-wearing schedule is followed. At our Huizhou centre a modified version of the Ponseti method, developed by Professor Liu Hejian (刘合建), founder of Hejian Foot & Ankle and a specialist of the Yuncheng Orthopedic Research Institute, is applied. The foot correction is complemented by occupational therapy and therapeutic exercise so that the corrected foot is confidently integrated into the child's everyday motor function.