Congenital Clubfoot Associated with an Accessory Soleus Muscle

Abstract

A 16-month-old male with previously untreated bilateral clubfeet was admitted to S.B. Izmir Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. Both feet underwent surgical treatment. During surgery, an accessory soleus muscle was detected on the right side. The accessory soleus muscle had a distinct distal insertion at the superior anteromedial border of the calcaneus and also anterior and medial to the Achilles tendon. He was treated by bilateral complete subtalar release with Cincinnati incision, and the accessory soleus was also cut and the distal part resected. At the final follow-up visit, when the patient was 6 years and 9 months old, both feet had a normal appearance and appeared normal on radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging, with no presence of the accessory soleus muscle or its remnant. In our opinion, awareness of the association between an accessory soleus muscle and clubfoot, and sectioning of this muscle during surgery may improve surgical results. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 98(5): 408–413, 2008)