Essay On Skewfoot

Skewfoot is the name given to a congenital birth defect during the formation and growth of bones in the foot of the baby. It is also known by the name of Z foot or Serpentine Foot. It is also considered to an acute form of a foot deformity called as Metatarsus Adductus. In this deformity, the baby's foot has a "C" shaped appearance to it. Specially made shoes and rigorous stretching exercises are done until the child is big enough to ambulate, although it may not be good enough to correct the deformity. Diagnosing Skewfoot or Serpentine Foot is a difficult condition to diagnose because initially the bones of the baby are not adequately developed and when x-rays are taken of the affected foot it basically comes out clear, hence it is difficult to exactly estimate the shape of the bones of the foot at that stage but by the age of 6 the bone gets completely formed and the shape of the Skewfoot can be clearly observed on the x-ray or MRI scan.
There have been different and variable observations made about the exact cause of Skewfoot or Serpentine Foot. In some literature, this condition has been described as being congenital in nature whereas in some studies Skewfoot or Serpentine Foot has been observed after …show more content…
To diagnose Skewfoot or Serpentine Foot, AP and lateral standing x-rays of the foot are done. In this condition, the AP view will show a mixture of abduction of midtarsal joints along with adduction of metatarsals giving the foot a Z type configuration. The lateral view will show plantar flexion of talus confirming the diagnosis of Skewfoot or Serpentine