Club Foot

This plaster cast illustrates congenital talipes equino-varus, or club foot, a condition in which the foot points down and inwards and the soles of the feet face backwards. The condition is not painful for babies but can cause pain and walking difficulties if left untreated. Today, the condition can be effectively treated through a process of gradually manipulating the feet into a better position. 

This object is part of a collection that came from the Great Ormond Street Hospital. The collection contains both plaster casts and pathological specimens and dates back to the 1850s. It was about to be disposed of when it was rescued by Paul Bates, former conservator for the collection. This collection is extremely valuable for teaching and research because it contains examples of diseases that have reached stages we see less often today due to our more sophisticated methods of diagnosis and treatment.