Re: Shoes & Straps

[Guest guest]

Hi Jay,

I tried to e-mail your personal address but the delivery was

refused.

I would love to chat with you at some point re: " THE SHOES " I

belive the situation was fine and now everyone is more confused. I

took the whole ponseti treatment (as far as the technical parts) into

my own hands after the seminar in 2000.

I worked at Twin Cities Shriners at th time and then went to

Gillette. I helped both hospitals and the Physicians get adjusted to

the Ponseti method. I have learned so much from the babies and the

families and I think I can give you some very valid input.

I have experienced the last 3 shoes developed and see some real

positives and some things that did not need to be changed. That said

I see some things the providers need to be educated in to recognize

the true problems ie: lost correction in foot and lack of family

compliance due to poor education and preperation resulting in

recurance.

RE; The plastizote, I have seen each shoe used with and without the

plastizote and we seem to end up adding it to keep feet in the shoe.

I recall my conversations with Dr. Ponseti and he has explained to me

that not only does it help keep the heel in the shoe but by cushining

around the full posterior calcaneous it encourages proper positioning.

Molding the heel pad so the calcaneous drops into nutural and not

valgus or varus. You see for quite awhile the pad is filled with fat

not heel and as this fat is being displaced (if you will) by the heel

something needs to guide the position. Much of this is crucial as the

child is begining to weight bear. From my experience the heel pad

seems to take a few years to properly be formed.

I realize many of the children are only in them at night during

this period but it does make a difference much like we use night

bracing for other puposes.

I have some strong opinions from strong experience and feel a talk

with each other would be benificial and I welcome any learning from

you.

I can be reached at 6512293881 (m-f 8:30-5:00) 9529303064 (eve)

(weekend)

I look forward to hearing from you,

" Castlady " Beth Meyers

[Guest guest]

Jay,

Thanks so much for working so diligently to try and improve these shoes

which are such an important part of this treatment.

You are to be commended for actively seeking out feedback and then making

the necessary improvements!

Many families will benefit from the improvements and hopefully these

improvements will cut down on the initial frustration when the child first

starts using them.

Best regards,

Joanne Walton

Fairfax VA

Message: 5

Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 17:56:56 -0000

Subject: Shoes & Straps

Attn: Kori et al.

Hi! As always I have been lurking here and listening to you all.

I was at the factory on Monday (President's Day) and saw the straps

that are now coming through. We are back to longer straps with 11

(count 'em Eleven) holes. That should give everyone plenty of strap

to work with.

I have also been listening to the ongoing discussions of

padding/inserts vs no inserts in our new shoes. I think that alot of

doctors and/or their orthotists are taking a " belt and suspenders "

approach to locking the babies heels in the shoe. That is, I think

they are being overly cautious. I personally don't think additional

padding/inserts are necessary, but need more feedback from around the

country including from Iowa City.

I hope to speak with and get additional feedback from Dr. Ponseti,

when I see him at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Meeting

in San Francisco next month. I'm sure he will have some suggestions

on ways that we can further improve the shoes. We'll see what

happens, and we will continue to try to make everyone happy :-)

Thanks!

Jay Markell

_________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Jay -

I also tried emailing you. This is the email returned to me:

Hi Jay,

I post with the nosurgery4clubfoot group and wanted to thank you for

all of your diligence in providing a well put together shoe that is

not only functional, but also provides comfort for our little ones

born with clubfoot.

I recently ordered a new pair of shoes through Iowa City - and was a

bit confused as to whether or not we received the " newer " version.

I have not counted the holes in the strap, but we've never really

had issues with that. I'm thinking we got the newer version because

the tongue is padded and there is extra padding in the back where

the plasizote insert is.

Mike, the orthotist that we worked with on the phone this last time

mentioned that they still continue to place the additional insert in

the shoes. I'm not quite sure as to why, but ours did come with the

plastizote insert.

I think we are among the lucky ones, as our son Zachary never had an

ounce of trouble with his shoes (knock on wood) - old or new. One

pair did begin to break away at the sole, but a simple application

of " glue nails " did the trick.

Again, thanks so much for your dedication toward providing care and

comfort for those born with clubfoot.

Holly Wasilewski

Zachary 7/27/02

Unilateral Right Clubfoot

Treated by Dr. Ponseti

14 hrs/day DBB

> Jay,

>

> Thanks so much for working so diligently to try and improve these

shoes

> which are such an important part of this treatment.

>

> You are to be commended for actively seeking out feedback and then

making

> the necessary improvements!

>

> Many families will benefit from the improvements and hopefully

these

> improvements will cut down on the initial frustration when the

child first

> starts using them.

>

> Best regards,

> Joanne Walton

> Fairfax VA

>

> Message: 5

> Date: Sat, 21 Feb 2004 17:56:56 -0000

> From: " jaymar1955 " <jaymar1955@y...>

> Subject: Shoes & Straps

>

> Attn: Kori et al.

>

> Hi! As always I have been lurking here and listening to you all.

> I was at the factory on Monday (President's Day) and saw the straps

> that are now coming through. We are back to longer straps with 11

> (count 'em Eleven) holes. That should give everyone plenty of strap

> to work with.

>

> I have also been listening to the ongoing discussions of

> padding/inserts vs no inserts in our new shoes. I think that alot

of

> doctors and/or their orthotists are taking a " belt and suspenders "

> approach to locking the babies heels in the shoe. That is, I think

> they are being overly cautious. I personally don't think additional

> padding/inserts are necessary, but need more feedback from around

the

> country including from Iowa City.

>

> I hope to speak with and get additional feedback from Dr. Ponseti,

> when I see him at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Meeting

> in San Francisco next month. I'm sure he will have some suggestions

> on ways that we can further improve the shoes. We'll see what

> happens, and we will continue to try to make everyone happy :-)

>

> Thanks!

> Jay Markell

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Say " good-bye " to spam, viruses and pop-ups with MSN Premium --

free trial

> offer! http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200359ave/direct/01/