Clubfoot is a birth defect in which the foot is twisted out of shape or position.
The cause of clubfoot is unknown. Babies with clubfoot are usually otherwise healthy.
In clubfoot, the foot appears twisted and can even look as if it's upside down.
Despite its appearance, clubfoot itself doesn't cause any discomfort or pain.Treatment is usually successful.
It traditionally includes stretching and casting (Ponseti method) or stretching and taping (French method). Sometimes, surgery is required.
Rather than using the traditional POP Plaster approach, Jaipur Club-foot aims to develop a mechanical bracing system that allows the deformed foot to be corrected over multiple iterations of different orintation of the same brace. The brace orientation is mechanically determined by the joint angles and can be adjusted using an allen key by the doctor.
A data collection system will be established in order to collect data from the brace, and develop an algorithm that could suggest the most suitable orientaion of the brace and make adjustments for faster and healthier treatment.
Club-foot retainers are worn after the foot has been stretched to the correct position and orientation. Retainers are necessary to avoid the foot from going back to its original position and to help it maintain the new position. This was the sub-project I was assigned to- To make a data acqusition system for the retainers.
The idea is study the data and to keep it open-source for experts to help enhance the Retainers and the Brace with acutators making it possible for Podiatrists to remotely configure, study and treat the deformity.