Born with clubbed feet and shortened heels, 12-year-old Nguyen Thi Trang from Quang Binh could only move around on her knees. It seemed she would live with this condition for life – until a successful surgery by Le Trong Phat, MD, PhD at FV Hospital changed everything. Today, Trang can walk on her own feet.

“I’ve never felt my feet touch the ground like this before!” Trang exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.

“Ever since I first learned to move, I’ve used my knees as my feet.”

Nguyen Thi Trang was born with clubfoot and shortened heels. Unable to straighten her legs, she grew up moving only on her knees. When she was six, her family took her to a hospital in Hue for surgery, but the operation was unsuccessful. With limited resources and no further treatment options, they had little choice but to accept that Trang would live with her condition for life.

In Grade 5, Trang came to the attention of The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund which brought her to FV Hospital for evaluation. Le Trong Phat, MD, PhD, Head of Bone & Joint Centre at FV Hospital, diagnosed that Trang’s knees could not fully extend due to severely contracted muscles – her legs could only straighten to 60 degrees. Years of underuse had left her leg muscles significantly weakened, while her knees, which bore the full weight of her movement, had become rough and callused from constant contact with the ground.

According to Dr Phat, two key issues needed to be addressed: Trang’s knees and her feet. If both could be realigned and straightened, she would have a chance to walk again.

Surgery to Realign Her Contracted Legs

Given the chance to walk at a top hospital – and with the entire cost of treatment covered by The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund – Trang and her family were filled with hope and anticipation. “When Dr Phat told me he would try to help me walk again, I was so happy and put all my trust in him,” Trang emotionally recalled.

In November 2022, Dr Phat and the Bone & Joint Centre team at FV Hospital performed surgery on Trang’s left leg. They released tight tendons to allow the contracted nerves to stretch, then realigned her foot to its correct position.

Following an extremely delicate and precise surgery, Trang’s knee – previously limited to a 60-degree angle – was extended to 20 degrees. Two weeks later, it improved by another 10 degrees, and eventually reached full extension.

“I’ve never felt my foot touch the ground like that before!”

After the cast was removed, Trang began walking on her left foot with the help of crutches and FV Hospital’s physiotherapy team. The first time her foot touched the floor, the cool surface surprised her, and she instinctively pulled back. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’ve never felt my foot touch the ground like that before,” the 12-year-old said, visibly moved.

In July 2024, Dr Phat’s team successfully performed a second surgery to release the contracted knee and realign Trang’s right foot.

After seven months of physiotherapy, Trang was overjoyed to walk on both legs with the aid of crutches. Dr Phat expects she will soon be able to walk independently, without any support.

According to Le Trong Phat, MD, PhD, congenital clubfoot, like Trang’s condition, is not uncommon. However, if detected early, it can often be corrected with orthopaedic casting. He encourages parents to closely monitor their child’s development so that any abnormalities can be addressed early, potentially avoiding more complex surgeries later on.