X-ray is important in the assessment of
clubfoot. Stress radiographs give more information than routine radiographs. Because of the inaccuracy of the positioning and the disadvantages of radiation, paediatric orthopaedic surgeons do not like and do not use X-ray examination. In this study we report a technique we use to obtain stress radiographs in paediatric patients with
clubfoot using a custom-made radiolucent modular
splint. This technique provides better assessment of the initial status and the result of treatment. Although this method has limitations it can help to compare different feet and treatment results with regard to axis and angle. We validated this
splint by means of a prospective study in 11 patients with 21 feet having type 2
clubfoot who underwent (PMSTR) in our centre. Two sets of radiographs were taken, one with manual positioning and one with our
splint. We found significant differences in the values of midfoot and forefoot radiological parameters between the two sets. We found that the correlation between the clinical and radiological assessment of residual
deformity improved significantly for these values when a
splint was used to obtain stress views. Hence we recommend routine use of a radiolucent
splint for taking stress views to assess residual
deformity in
clubfoot.