Re: Troy Aikman's clubfoot treatment

[Guest guest]

Thanks Joanne. It's interesting that you found that book.

Long ago I read excerpts from it.

I have always been skeptical that it could be real clubfoot in his

case. It seems so unlikely that, if he did have it, that it would

take 8 months before anyone would notice enough to do something about

it. (At that time, I don't think anyone outside of Iowa was doing the

Ponseti method.)

It just seems much more likely to have been some other sort of milder

condition. Maybe metatarsus adductus, which at that time was often

treated with the DBB and/or casts, and was sometimes mistakenly

identified with clubfoot.. which is why, I think, so many people will

say, " oh, I had that too! I wore one of those when I was little, "

or " my sister had that " .

An old-time shoe store in our town has several dusty old pairs of

DBBs hanging on the wall behind their counter, from the days when

kids with turned in feet were routinely prescribed them.. I was one

of them (I don't have clubfoot). I wore white, straight last,

strapped shoes during sleep for a long time as a baby and toddler.

Now of course it's a condition which very often doesn't need

intervention and is left to resolve on its own. That's due, I

believe, to a paper Dr. Ponseti published on metatarsus adductus way

back when. I think he has said that everyone paid attention to his

paper on m.a., but ignored his findings on clubfoot.... until,

finally, now..

Anyway, sorry to ramble! Thanks for sharing what you found! It is

interesting to think about..

> I found Troy Aikman's autobiography " Things Change " , specifically

for

> children, in a consignment shop. PUblished by Scholastic in 1995,

the

> proceeds from the royalties go to the Troy Aikman Foundation which

builds

> cool playspaces in Children's hospitals...

>

> This is what he has to say about his clubfoot treatment:

>

> " During my first year, my parents found it diffcult to put on my

shoes.

> There were not worried at first. Soon, however, they started to

wonder why

> my legs slightly bowed below my knees and my toes curled under my

feet.

> They took me to Dr. Bill McColl, a former Chicago Bears football

player, who

> told my parents I had a mild form of club foot.

> Dr. McColl put casts on my feet when I was 8 months old. Every two

weeks the

> casts were changed. I wore those casts until a month after my first

> birthday, and I even learned to walk wearing them.

> After the casts came off, I wore special shoes until I turned 3

years old.

> The high-top white shoes looked like regular shoes except the toes

pointed

> out, as though they were on the wrong feet. I wore the shoes day

and night.

> My heels were strapped together when I slept. Slowly my feet grew

normally. "

>

> He was born in November of 1966. There is a drawing of him with

short leg

> casts, no actual photo.

> Sounds like he was treated with the Ponseti method?

>

> Thought this was interesting...

> Joanne W. mom to Zoe (3-25-01, right clubfoot)

>

> _________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Joanne,

I also have Troy Aikmans autobiography and had asked Dr. Ponseti

about him 4 1/2 years ago. Dr. Ponseti's opinion was that Troy

Aikman had metatarsus adductus and not clubfoot. He said that some

doctors have referred to metatarsus adductus as a mild form of

clubfoot when they are actually different. The fact that Troy's

parents didn't have him treated until 8 months of age and that he

only wore reverse last shoes instead of an FAB/DBB system seem to

indicate that whatever he had was not very severe.

> I found Troy Aikman's autobiography " Things Change " , specifically

for

> children, in a consignment shop. PUblished by Scholastic in 1995,

the

> proceeds from the royalties go to the Troy Aikman Foundation which

builds

> cool playspaces in Children's hospitals...

>

> This is what he has to say about his clubfoot treatment:

>

> " During my first year, my parents found it diffcult to put on my

shoes.

> There were not worried at first. Soon, however, they started to

wonder why

> my legs slightly bowed below my knees and my toes curled under my

feet.

> They took me to Dr. Bill McColl, a former Chicago Bears football

player, who

> told my parents I had a mild form of club foot.

> Dr. McColl put casts on my feet when I was 8 months old. Every two

weeks the

> casts were changed. I wore those casts until a month after my

first

> birthday, and I even learned to walk wearing them.

> After the casts came off, I wore special shoes until I turned 3

years old.

> The high-top white shoes looked like regular shoes except the toes

pointed

> out, as though they were on the wrong feet. I wore the shoes day

and night.

> My heels were strapped together when I slept. Slowly my feet grew

normally. "

>

> He was born in November of 1966. There is a drawing of him with

short leg

> casts, no actual photo.

> Sounds like he was treated with the Ponseti method?

>

> Thought this was interesting...

> Joanne W. mom to Zoe (3-25-01, right clubfoot)

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Best Restaurant Giveaway Ever! Vote for your favorites for a

chance to win

> $1 million! http://local.msn.com/special/giveaway.asp

[Guest guest]

Thank you for that. I sometimes mention to people that Troy

and Christy Yamaguchi (sp?) had club feet because I have had

some people think that when I say club foot that my daughter

has no toes, etc., until I explain it.

Louisa and Zoe 2-22-04

> I found Troy Aikman's autobiography " Things Change " , specifically

for

> children, in a consignment shop. PUblished by Scholastic in 1995,

the

> proceeds from the royalties go to the Troy Aikman Foundation which

builds

> cool playspaces in Children's hospitals...

>

> This is what he has to say about his clubfoot treatment:

>

> " During my first year, my parents found it diffcult to put on my

shoes.

> There were not worried at first. Soon, however, they started to

wonder why

> my legs slightly bowed below my knees and my toes curled under my

feet.

> They took me to Dr. Bill McColl, a former Chicago Bears football

player, who

> told my parents I had a mild form of club foot.

> Dr. McColl put casts on my feet when I was 8 months old. Every two

weeks the

> casts were changed. I wore those casts until a month after my first

> birthday, and I even learned to walk wearing them.

> After the casts came off, I wore special shoes until I turned 3

years old.

> The high-top white shoes looked like regular shoes except the toes

pointed

> out, as though they were on the wrong feet. I wore the shoes day

and night.

> My heels were strapped together when I slept. Slowly my feet grew

normally. "

>

> He was born in November of 1966. There is a drawing of him with

short leg

> casts, no actual photo.

> Sounds like he was treated with the Ponseti method?

>

> Thought this was interesting...

> Joanne W. mom to Zoe (3-25-01, right clubfoot)

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Best Restaurant Giveaway Ever! Vote for your favorites for a chance

to win

> $1 million! http://local.msn.com/special/giveaway.asp