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Clubfoot

  • Reference work entry
Atlas of Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling

  • 335 Accesses

Clubfoot, or talipes equinovarus, is one of the most common congenital deformities affecting the lower limbs in approximately 1–2 in 1,000 live births. The incidence is higher in Hispanics and lower in Asians. Although clubfoot is recognizable at birth, the severity of the deformity can vary from mild to an extremely rigid foot that is resistant to manipulation (Dobbs and Gurnett 2009).

Synonyms and Related Disorders

Talipes equinovarus

Genetics/Basic Defects

  1. 1.

    Pathogenesis

    1. a.

      Genetic cause: suggested because it tends to run in families (Lochmiller et al. 1998)

    2. b.

      Oligohydramnios: suggested as a cause from early amniocentesis data (CEMAT Group 1998)

    3. c.

      Osseous deformities (Shapiro and Glimcher 1979), muscle abnormalities (Herceg et al. 2006), and arrested fetal development (Fukuhara et al. 1994): hypothesized to play a role in pathogenesis

  2. 2.

    Etiology (Dobbs and Gurnett 2009)

    1. a.

      Most commonly as an isolated birth defect and considered idiopathic (Wynne-Davies 1964): various theories...

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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Perinatal and Clinical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, LSU Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71130, USA

    Harold Chen

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(2012). Clubfoot. In: Chen, H. (eds) Atlas of Genetic Diagnosis and Counseling. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1037-9_46

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