A team of scientists from the University of Aberdeen are set to recruit a further 800 families from throughout the UK and the Netherlands for a major research programme into the genetic causes of clubfoot.
DNA samples from a total of 1,000 families throughout the UK and Europe will be collected from children with the condition and their parents as part of the Exploring Causes of Clubfoot in Europe (ECCE) project, which began last August.
The samples will be studied to identify the genes involved in the cause of clubfoot, and questionnaire data will be used to study environmental factors. Previous medical studies have suggested that there are both genetic and environmental causes of clubfoot, but these are as yet unknown.
The project has been funded by British charity SPARKS (SPort Aiding medical Research for Kids - correct), which gave an initial grant of £30,000 to Simon Barker and David Chesney, orthopaedic surgeons in the Aberdeen team. They developed a new digital photographic method of assessing the legs of children with clubfoot.
SPARKS awarded a further grant of £122,000 to the University last August for the next phase of the research project, which is being headed up by medical geneticist Dr Zosia Miedzybrodzka.
“This next stage of our research involves working with the UK support group STEPS (the National Association for Children with Lower Limb Abnormalities) and the Dutch clubfoot support group VOK.
“We are aiming to get samples from 1,000 families altogether, which will be studied to identify the genes involved in the cause of clubfoot, and questionnaire data will be used to study environmental factors.”
At least one in 1,000 children in Britain is affected with clubfoot, or congenital talipes equinovarus, a disorder of the development of the foot and lower leg. Some children do well following treatment, but a significant number continue to experience problems.
Further Information:
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.