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Clubfoot — caring for the boots and bar

Foot & ankle · Clubfoot, for parents, after the plasters

This sheet is about the boots and bar, not exercises. After correction, your child must wear the boots-and-bar as advised to stop the foot turning in again. Usually this means all day and all night for about 3 months after the last plaster, taken off only for the bath; then at night and during daytime naps until about 4 to 5 years of age. Your child's own schedule is written on the prescription: follow that. Both boots are always worn, even when only one foot had clubfoot. Do not stop the boots-and-bar because the foot looks normal. Do not let anyone massage, stretch or force the foot, and do not take your child to a bone-setter.

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Putting the boots on

Put on cotton socks with no wrinkles. Bend your child's knee: this lets the heel drop. Push the heel right down into the back of the boot and fasten the ankle strap first, firmly, then the other straps. Check that the heel is down and the toes lie straight, not curled under. Then fix the boots to the bar. Tell us when the boots start to look tight: your child needs bigger ones as the feet grow.

Every time

Should feel: The heel down at the back of the boot Should not feel: The heel lifted up, or the toes curled under

Checking the skin

Each time the boots come off, look at the heel, the back of the ankle and the top of the foot on both feet. Light pink marks that fade soon after the boots come off are normal. Do not put oil, cream or powder on the skin under the boots.

Every time
Takes 2 minutes

Should feel: Skin that is clean and unbroken Should not feel: A blister, raw skin, or a red mark that does not fade

Playing with the bar on

Let your child kick and play with the boots and bar on. Gently push and pull the bar so that both knees bend and straighten together; your child soon learns to kick both legs at once. Most children get used to the boots within a few days, so do not take them off because your child cries at first.

Every day
As often as they like

Should feel: Both legs kicking together Should not feel: Taking the boots off because your child cries in the first days

Stop and telephone us if

A blister, a sore or raw skin where the boots touch
The heel keeps slipping up out of the boot
The heel lifts or the foot starts turning in again
Your child's foot is very stiff, or the legs seem weak

Ready when you are.

Call either clinic during consulting hours, or send a WhatsApp message any time.

Nallasopara West Virar East