The organization works with the community by providing awareness through education to parents with children born with clubfoot. We also partner with health care facilities in their localities to provide clinic services to the targeted group using the Ponseti Technique.
We work with parents whose children have clubfoot conditions. Our work includes but not limited to
- Early Detection and Referral (EDR)
- Clubfoot treatment using the Ponseti Method
- Parent Education
- Support supervisor
- Advocacy etc
We work closely with Regional and District Hospitals and Parastatal Hospitals to ensure accessibility of our services to target community. We have clinics housed in these hospitals where we provide training and materials to treat clubfoot patients.
We work with local government leaders and community rehabilitation workers to trace and reach children with clubfoot conditions whose parents feels difficult to disclose their conditions.
Ponseti Method
TCCO applies Ponsenti Method for the treatment of clubfoot. This method is considered to be the most effective way to treat clubfoot and achieves successful results of 95%.
The Ponseti Method involves a series of simple, properly applied plaster casts that are changed weekly over a period of 4-6 weeks. This is a simple out-patient procedure done using local anesthesia. Following casting, a simple foot abduction brace is worn at night for four years to prevent relapse. The treatment starts within weeks of birth, but children as old as 16 have been successfully treated using the Ponseti Method.
The Ponseti Method involves a series of plaster casts to gradually turn the child’s foot back into a normal position. This evidence-based treatment model built upon longitudinal research conducted over 50 years at the University of Iowa is ideally suited for both the developed and developing world.
It is inexpensive, minimally invasive, and can be performed by not only a doctor or nurse but also by physiotherapists or a trained paramedical technician. This method, named for Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, is accepted by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons as the international standard for clubfoot treatment.
Ponseti Phases
The Ponseti Method is divided into 2 phases: Treatment phase and Maintenance phase:
- Treatment Phase:
Involves a series of simple, properly applied plaster casts that with gentle manipulation of the foot. Each cast holds the foot in a new correct position allowing it to reshape gradually. The casts are changed weekly over a period of 4-6 weeks.
This is usually followed by a minor percutaneous surgical procedure whereby a small incision is made through the skin to reach the Achilles tendon. The tendon is cut so as to lengthen it.
- Maintenance Phase:
Following casting, a simple foot abduction brace is worn for 23 hours per day for the first 3 months and then during naps and night-time for four years to prevent relapse.
The treatment should start within weeks of birth, but children as old as 16 have been successfully treated using the Ponseti Method.