Exploring Bracing Adherence in Ponseti Treatment of Clubfoot: A Comparative Study of Factors and Outcomes in Uganda.

ABSTRACT: The Ponseti method of clubfoot treatment involves two phases: initial correction, usually including tenotomy; and bracing, to maintain correction and prevent relapse. Bracing should last up to four years, but in Uganda, approximately 21% of patients drop from clinical oversight within the first two years of using the brace. Our study compared 97 adherent and 66 non-adherent cases to assess the influential factors and effects on functional outcomes. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from clinical records, in-person caregiver interviews, and assessments of foot correction and functionality. Children who underwent tenotomy had 74% higher odds of adherence to bracing compared to those who did not undergo tenotomy. Conversely, children from rural households whose caregivers reported

SUBMITTER: Dreise M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10379221 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature