50 Years Ago in CORR: Congenital Vertical Talus Tom Outland MD and Henry H. Sherk MD CORR 1960;16:214–218

Excerpt

Congenital vertical talus is a rare, mostly sporadic condition although there have been some reports of autosomal dominance with incomplete penetration [3]. It occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 live births and is isolated in about 50% of the cases; it is associated with other neuromuscular or genetic conditions in the other 50% [1]. The genetic basis is not known, but given there is a family history in 12–20% [1] a genetic basis in at least some patients seems likely. It is characterized primarily by a stiff foot with a concave plantar surface (Fig. 1) and radiographs reveal the vertical position of the talus (Fig. 2). The entity was recognized by various individuals in the late 1800s and early 1900s with a plethora of names but perhaps the first reference in the English language was by Lamy and Weissman in 1939 [4] They commented,

Consultation of the literature on this subject reveals a surprising number of different terms by which this condition has been successively designated: “pied plat congenital” (Nové-Josserand); “pied plat valgus congenital” (Camera); “pied plat réfléchi” (Galeazzi); “luxation congénitale de l’astragale” (Haglund, Deutschländer, Seiffert); “luxatio et dystropia pedis sub talo” (Siegmund); “pied valgus congénital convexe” (Lamy); “pied plat congénital par subluxation sous-astragalienne congénitale et orientation verticale de l’astragale” (Rocher and Pouyanne); “pes curvus congenitus” or “Kyrtopodie” (Chrysospathes). This list illustrates the wide divergence of views in the interpretation of this deformity, ranging from its non-recognition as a morbid entity (Ombrédanne) to its conception as a specific congenital malformation (Chrysospathes).

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