Congenital vertical talus is a rare congenital foot deformity in which the sole of a child's foot flexes abnormally in a convex position giving the foot a rocker-bottom appearance. For this reason, this condition is often called rocker-bottom foot.
The exact cause of vertical talus in not known. Many cases, however, however, are associated with a neuromuscular disease or other disorder, such as arthrogryposis, spina bifida, and numerous syndromes. Your doctor may decide to perform additional tests to discover whether your infant has any of these other conditions.
Evidence for genetic causes of vertical talus includes familial occurrence with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance in 12% to 20% of otherwise idiopathic cases [9, 12, 19, 23]. Specific gene mutations have been identified in a few patients.
Congenital vertical talus, also known as congenital convex pes valgus, is an uncommon foot deformity that is present at birth and has an estimated incidence of 1 in 10,000 [1]. It is characterized by a fixed dorsal dislocation of the navicular on the talar head and neck [2] resulting in a rigid flatfoot deformity.
Like clubfoot, vertical talus is a congenital foot disorder, which means it is present in babies at birth. The foot turns outward, creating a rigid flat foot. To visualize it, think of the foot's arch curving down and out like the bottom of a rocking chair.
Club foot (also called talipes) is where a baby is born with a foot or feet that turn in and under. Early treatment should correct it. In club foot, 1 foot or both feet point down and inwards with the sole of the foot facing backwards.
It can be associated with Edwards' syndrome (trisomy 18), Patau syndrome (trisomy 13), Trisomy 9 and mutation in the gene HOXD10.
Initial treatment of vertical talus consists of gentle manipulation of the foot to stretch the contracted tissues. The doctor will stretch the child's foot into the desired amount of correction and apply a plaster cast in two sections, paying careful attention on the molding of the foot and ankle.
Congenital vertical talus, sometimes called "rocker-bottom foot," is a rare birth defect of the foot in which the talus bone has formed in the wrong position and other foot bones have shifted on top of it.
Adequate soft-tissue release provides satisfactory correction for rocker bottom deformity. However, this deformity requires more extensive and complex procedures than the standard surgical treatment of clubfoot.
Calcaneovalgus foot is one of the most common deformities of the foot seen in newborns. Babies with this condition are born with their foot and ankle excessively bent up, where the toes are usually touching the shin. This deformity may also present in older children, but is usually a manifestation of another condition.
The patient will not be able to walk on the affected foot until the surgeon determines it is safe to do so. During this period, the patient may be fitted with a cast, removable boot or brace and may be required to use crutches or a wheelchair.