Somatosensory evoked potentials in patients suffering from congenital clubfoot

Objective To assess the neural abnormality in patients with congenital clubfoot with somatosenoty evoked potentials(SSEPs).Methods Forty-eight patients(63 clubfeet)were studied. The results of 39 clubfeet(61.9%)had abnormal SSEPs test results.Results 48 clubfeet(76.2%) had abnormal neural-electrophysiology,of which a total 39 clubfoots had abnormal SSEP(61.9%). The neural abnormality correlates with the relative to the degree of the clubfoot deformity.All gradeⅢclubfoots showed neural abnormalities,while only 26 out of 39 gradeⅡclubfoots were abnormal. Conclusions The result shows that most congenital clubfoots have neural abnormality and the extent of neural abnormality is proportional to the degree of the clubfoot deformity.