Congenital Vertical Talus: Etiology and Management.

Congenital vertical talus is a rare foot deformity. If left untreated, it causes significant disability, including pain and functional limitations. Although the etiology of vertical talus is likely heterogeneous, recent evidence strongly supports a genetic cause linking it to genes expressed during early limb development. Traditional management for vertical talus involves extensive surgeries that are associated with significant short- and long-term complications. A minimally invasive approach that relies on serial manipulation and casting to achieve most of the correction has been shown to produce excellent short-term results with regard to clinical and radiographic correction in both isolated and nonisolated cases of vertical talus. Although long-term studies are needed, achieving correction without extensive surgery may lead to more flexible and functional feet, much as Ponseti method has done for clubfeet. Copyright 2015 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.