Clubfootedness

Definition:

The clinical picture of clubfootedness shows an acquired steepness of the toe in the horny box, with a toe wall angle of over 60° and flexion in the coffin joint.

Club foot therapy

In highly severe cases, we use Club Foot Shoe Model B with parallel sole. In addition, the wedge placed under the heels during adhesive application is screwed tightly to the foal shoe. This initial heel-raising measure allows the entire hoof to take the weight and thus lessens tension of the deep flexor tendon. The suspension apparatus on the distal phalanx is relieved and the danger of laminitis with concomitant rotation of the distal phalanx distinctly reduced. The wedge is now rasped down approx. 2 mm at the heels every day until it is finally removed altogether. This results in a very gentle extension of the coffin joint. For further extension of the coffin joint, and also in less severe cases of clubfootedness, we use Club Foot Shoe Model BK with tapered sole. The protruding tapered toe wedge extends beyond the toe by about 1 cm, which is sufficient for the mechanical and orthopaedic effect of the club foot shoe. In order to ensure that the hoofshoes do not become overly tight on the foal’s hooves and necessitate further corrective therapy, the hoofshoes should remain in place no longer than 3 weeks. As a rule, the hooves are properly corrected after 6 to 8 weeks. As soon as the foal resumes plane propulsion, only the heels are still shortened at regular intervals. If a foal shows no distinct signs of improvement after 2 periods with adhesive hoofshoes, or if an X-ray photo indicates rotation of the distal phalanx, surgical treatment is advisable.