A team of researchers sought to evaluate a 16-week treatment for idiopathic toe walking (ITW) with lower-leg orthoses and a circular foot unit over a 24-month follow-up period. The researchers practice at medical facilities in Germany, including a children’s orthopedic hospital. Their review indicated that the treatment resulted in satisfying long-term results in two-thirds of the patients.
Twenty-two patients were included in the study. Their ages at the beginning of treatment were 7.0 years +/- 2.9 (range 2.5-13.1 years). The percentage of ITW at the beginning of treatment was 89 percent +/- 22.2 (range 50-100) according to the children’s parents’ perception.
Immediately after the treatment protocol, the percentage of ITW dropped to 11 percent +/- 13.2 (range 0-50). After 12 months, 73 percent of the patients (16/22) walked completely normally or showed ITW less than 10 percent of the day. After 24 months, 64 percent of the patients kept a normal gait (14/22).
The study, “Orthotic treatment of idiopathic toe walking with a lower leg orthosis with circular subtalar blocking,” was published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
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