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Children
Special Issues
Gait Disorders Secondary to Pediatric Foot Deformities
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Gait Disorders Secondary to Pediatric Foot Deformities

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2025) | Viewed by 788

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alexandru Herdea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pediatric Orthopedics Department, “Grigore Alexandrescu” Children’s Emergency Hospital, 011743 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: pediatric orthopedics; traumatology
Dr. Alexandru Ulici

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Emergency Hospital for Children “Grigore Alexandrescu”, 011743 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: wound ealing; musculoskeletal imaging; pediatric orthopedics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to serve as the Guest Editor for Children. Gait problems secondary to pediatric foot deformities in children is a topic that practitioners encounter every day when handling pediatric patients.

Starting from congenital abnormalities found in newborns, such as congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) or calcaneovalgus foot, to gait disorders seen in older children, we observe an ongoing struggle between evidence-based medicine and the traditional methods used for treatment.

In this Special Issue, we would like to gather articles debating foot structure abnormalities and gait disorders, including the following:

  • Congenital Foot Malformations: Including, but not limited to, talipes equinovarus (clubfoot), calcaneovalgus foot, metatarsus adductus, congenital vertical talus, and oblique talus.
  • Acquired Deformities: Such as Achilles tendon contracture and habitual toe-walking (equinus gait).
  • Developmental Foot Disorders: Such as flexible flatfoot (pes planovalgus), skewfoot (serpentine foot), and cavovarus foot deformity.
  • Gait Analysis Techniques: Utilization of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis to objectively assess kinematic and kinetic parameters.
  • Classification Systems: Integration of clinical, radiological, and pedobarographic classification methods to refine traditional diagnostic frameworks and optimize individualized treatment planning.

Dr. Alexandru Herdea
Dr. Alexandru Ulici
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gait disorders
  • foot structure abnormalities
  • congenital abnormalities
  • pediatric orthopedics
  • clubfoot
  • calcaneovalgus foot
  • flatfoot

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 11091 KB  
Article
Finite Element Simulation of Clubfoot Correction: A Feasibility Study Toward Patient-Specific Casting
by Ayush Nankani, Sean Tabaie, Matthew Oetgen, Kevin Cleary and Reza Monfaredi
Children 2025, 12(10), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12101307 - 28 Sep 2025
Viewed by 619
Abstract
Background: Congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) affects 1–2 per 1000 newborns worldwide. The Ponseti method, based on staged manipulations and casting, is the gold standard for correction. However, the biomechanical processes underlying these corrections remain poorly understood, as infants rarely undergo imaging. Computational modeling [...] Read more.
Background: Congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot) affects 1–2 per 1000 newborns worldwide. The Ponseti method, based on staged manipulations and casting, is the gold standard for correction. However, the biomechanical processes underlying these corrections remain poorly understood, as infants rarely undergo imaging. Computational modeling may offer a non-invasive approach to studying correction pathways and exploring novel applications, such as customized casts. Methods: We developed a proof-of-concept framework using iterative finite element analysis (iFEA) to approximate the surface-level geometric corrections targeted in Ponseti treatment. A 3D surface model of a training clubfoot foot was scanned, meshed, and deformed stepwise under applied computational loads. The model was assumed to be homogeneous and hyperelastic, and correction was quantified using Cavus, Adductus, Varus, Equinus, and Derotation angles. We also introduced a secondary adult leg 3D surface model to assess whether model simplification influences correction outcomes, by comparing a homogeneous soft tissue model with a non-homogeneous model incorporating bone structure. Results: In the training model, iFEA generated progressive deformations consistent with Ponseti correction, with mean angular deviations of ±3.2°. In the adult leg model, homogeneous and non-homogeneous versions produced comparable correction geometries, differing by <2° in outcomes. The homogeneous model required less computation, supporting its use for feasibility testing. Applied loads were computational drivers, not physiological forces. Conclusions: This feasibility study shows that iFEA can reproduce surface-level geometric changes consistent with Ponseti correction, independent of model homogeneity. While not replicating clinical biomechanics, this framework lays the groundwork for future work that incorporates clinician-applied forces, pediatric tissue properties, and patient-specific geometries, with potential applications in customized 3D-printed casts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gait Disorders Secondary to Pediatric Foot Deformities)
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