Relapse of Clubfoot after Treatment with the Ponseti Method and the Function of the Foot Abduction Orthosis

Ponseti clubfoot treatment has become more popular during the last decade because of its high initial correction rate. But the most common problem affecting the long-term successful outcome is relapse of the deformity. Non-compliance with Ponseti brace protocol is a major problem associated with relapse. Although more comfortable braces have been reported to improve the compliance, they all have the same design and no significant changes have been made to the protocols. After refinement in the Ponseti method and emphasizing the importance of brace to parents, the relapse rate has been markedly decreased. Nevertheless, there are patients who do not have any recurrence although they are not completely compliant with the brace treatment, whereas other patients have a recurrence even though they are strictly compliant with the brace treatment. The aim of this article is to review the relapse of clubfoot and the function of the brace and to develop an individualized brace protocol for each patient by analyzing the mechanism of the brace and the biomechanical properties of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Antitumor effect of inhibitor of growth 4 / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Inhibitor of growth 4 (ING4) is an important member of anti-oncogene family.The expression of ING4 is significantly lower in many malignancies.ING4 involves in multiple processes,such as tumorigenesis,regulation of cell cycle,cell apoptosis,DNA repair and angiogenesis,which have a significant impact on the progression and prognosis of tumor.ING4 may serve as a promising prognostic maker as well as a potential therapeutic target for cancer.