Value of the fetal plantar shape in prenatal diagnosis of talipes equinovarus

Objectives - The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the fetal plantar shape in prenatal diagnosis of talipes equinovarus. Methods - A case-control study was conducted between September 2009 and February 2011. We measured the width and length of 249 feet (156 fetuses) included in this study and then calculated the width to length ratio. All of the fetuses were followed to obtain the pregnancy outcomes and confirm whether the deformity existed; then the bimalleolar angle of each foot with talipes equinovarus was measured. Independent samples t tests were performed to compare the foot width, length, and width to length ratio between normal and talipes equinovarus groups. We also assessed the correlation between the width to length ratio and bimalleolar angle in the talipes equinovarus cases with the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results - Statistically significant differences were shown between the two groups (P< .001) for the three foot measurements, and a significant negative correlation was found between the width to length ratio and bimalleolar angle of the affected foot (r = -0.857). Conclusions - The fetal plantar shape can provide valuable information for prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot. Compared with a normal foot, a clubfoot tends to be wider and shorter. A higher width to length ratio is associated with a smaller bimalleolar angle and indicates a more severe talipes equinovarus deformity.