Who We Are
Clubfoot Navigator Ltd. was founded in 2022 to support the app, Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator, to support clinicians who treat children with clubfeet with guideline based Ponseti treatment.
Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator was developed by Pankaj Jain in collaboration with Dr. Matthew Varghese and Dr. Shafique Pirani to provide guidance so that Ponseti treatment would be followed according to guidelines established by the Ponseti International Association in 2015. PCN is an electronic medical record that uses embedded algorithms and artificial intelligence to recommend correct decisions according to the PIA guidelines to the Ponseti treatment provider.
Our vision is to support proper Ponseti treatment so that all children born with clubfoot grow up free from disability. Our team is committed to making PCN accessible and affordable for everyone.
Developer
Dr. Shafique Pirani
MD, FRCSC
Dr. Shafique Pirani is a Clinical Professor at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of British Columbia Medical School. Dr. Pirani’s major interest is in clubfoot. He is widely known for his clubfoot assessment tool - the Pirani Clubfoot Severity Score, for his pioneering work with MRI showing how the Ponseti Method corrects the clubfoot deformity, and for developing sustainable national Ponseti clubfoot teaching and treatment programs in developing nations. He is the Project Director for both the Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project (USCCP) and Sustainable Clubfoot Care in Bangladesh (SCCB) - Government of Canada (Global Affairs Canada) supported initiatives to build capacity for sustainable Ponseti clubfoot management throughout their respective countries.
Most recently, he has partnered with digital technologists, Ponseti experts and others to collaborate on developing and distributing Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator, a clinical decision support/electronic medical record app, that hold much promise to reduce error and improve outcomes for children with clubfeet undergoing Ponseti clubfoot treatment.
Dr. Pirani has been widely recognized for his work. The World Health Organization has recognized the success of USCCP and recommended its model as a way of helping the disabled worldwide. His awards include the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeon’s Humanitarian Award, the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America Humanitarian Award, the Canadian Orthopaedic Association’s Award for Excellence, the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America’s Angie Kuo Award, the University of British Columbia’s Impact in the Community Award, and Fraser Health’s Above and Beyond Award.
Dr. Joughin is a recently retired pediatric orthopaedic surgeon from Calgary, Alberta, practicing at the Alberta Children's Hospital for 30+ years. She has used the Ponseti technique since 2001 after attending a hands-on seminar hosted by Dr. Pirani and featuring Dr. Ignacio Ponseti.
She joined the Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator team as a Ponseti expert. Partnering with Dr. Pirani, she is a director in Clubfoot Navigator Ltd., the business created to provide PCN to Ponseti practitioners worldwide.
PCN Collaborator
Dr. Elaine Joughin
BSC (HON), MD, FRCSC
PCN Collaborator
Dr. Renaud Rossillon
MD
Dr. Rosillon graduated as medical doctor from the University of Louvain (UCL) in Belgium in 1984 and as an orthopedic surgeon in 1990. He met Dr. Shafique Pirani during clinical fellowship at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto Canada in 1990. At the time, clubfeet were almost always treated by a complete surgical release.
At the annual meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Dr. Ponseti demonstrated the technique in Dr. Pirani's clubfoot clinic. Since then I treated all my patients' clubfeet following his original method.
Dr. Rosillon practices as a full time pediatric orthopedic surgeon at St Pierre Hospital in Belium treating scoliosis, hip malformation , genetic disease and clubfoot.
Dr. Helmers leads the center for pediatric orthopedics at the Evangelische Waldkrankenhaus Spandau teaching hospital in Berlin. She has long-standing experience in both conservative and surgical treatment of clubfeet.
Since 2005, she has successfully used the Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment and taught it to hundreds of colleagues during seminars and congresses around the world. She has treated children with clubfoot in India, Mali, South Sudan, and Togo on multiple stays abroad.
In 2020 she started collaborating on the development of a smartphone app to reduce medical errors when using the Ponseti Method. She has used Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator in her clinic since 2020 and is convinced that the app has improved the results of treatment.
PCN Collaborator
Dr. Anja Helmers
MD
PCN Collaborator
Dr. Dalia Sepulveda
MD
I am Dr. Dalia Sepúlveda A. a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon working in Santiago, Chile. In the past I have been involved in several educational activities of the specialty all through Latin America. Some of those educational projects became a base to organize country, continental and even intercontinental experts’ group in mayor topics in Pediatric Orthopedics. (Musculo skeletal Trauma, Hip diseases, clubfoot, Achondroplasia and other rare diseases).
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The one that has a favorite place in my practice and dedication is the foundation of PIA-LAT, today a society that gathers all countries in LA, its members are specialists in the treatment of Club Foot, based in the Ignacio Ponseti method and philosophy.
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To me, another prominent and dear activity today, is to share work with this important international group of specialists that are developing an innovative digital application to improve the quality of treatment for clubfoot and decrease errors in its orthopedic management.
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I am an established expert in the Ponseti Method with over 20 years experience of managing children with congenital foot deformity including clubfoot (talipes) and congenital vertical talus. ​ I work closely with Denise Watson-Tann to deliver evidenced based practice with caring support and advice for families from pre-natal diagnosis of clubfoot to young adulthood. I have a wide experience of managing complex and atypical foot deformity and those related to underlying neurological abnormalities including spina bifida and CMT. I also have a wider, more general experience in childhood orthopaedic disorders and growth related problems. ​ I have a keen interest in children's rehabilitation, return to activity and school and as such will support families to enable their children to maximise their abilities after any orthopaedic treatment. ​ I graduated from Nottingham University Medical School in 1988. Most of my orthopaedic training was in and around Manchester with my paediatric fellowships there and in Toronto. ​ I have had a busy general paediatric orthopaedic and clubfoot practice in Manchester since my appointment as a consultant in October 2001. I lead the specialist children's foot service in Manchester, which includes children with complex congenital foot deformities such as clubfoot (talipes) and congenital vertical talus, and those from underlying neurological conditions (inc. CMT and Spina Bifida) ​ I was fortunate enough to learn the Ponseti Method from Dr. Ponseti himself and had a close clinical relationship with him and Dr. Fred Dietz for many years. I have been involved in teaching internationally and am recognised as an expert in The Ponseti Method. ​ Additionally, I have been clinical lead of the North West Children's Major Trauma Network since its inception in 2011 and have expertise in the management of mass casualty incidents. ​ I lead the Northern and National Children's Rehabilitation Boards, represent children's services on the National Clinical Reference Group for Disability and Rehabilitation and the Joint Speciality Committe for Rehabilitation.
PCN Collaborator
Naomi Davis
BMedSci BM BS FRCSEd
(Tr & Orth)
PCN Collaborator
Saskia Wijnands
PhD
I am Saskia Wijnands, a junior researcher/ third-year PhD student. I work at the Máxima MC hospital (the Netherlands) and KU Leuven university (Belgium) in a research group together with orthopedic surgeon Arnold Besselaar. Within this research group we investigate different topics in clubfoot patients (e.g., difference in functioning between relapse/non-relapse patients, relationship of functioning with motor abilities and participation of clubfoot patients). My own research focusses on the role of the plantar flexor muscles in the functioning of clubfoot patients. The idea is to combine functional methods such as three-dimensional movement analysis with more clinically applied measurements such as ultrasound, to give an overview of the functional and muscle-tendon characteristics of clubfoot patients.
I am Arnold Besselaar, pediatric orthopedic and trauma surgeon. I was trained in Utrecht and Maastricht in Holland and was fellow in the Children’s hospital in Utrecht. I started my consultancy in the Catharina Hospital Eindhoven, after 12 years, our group of orthopedic surgeons decided to center the pediatric orthopedic care in Maxima Medical center what worked out very well. In 2011 we launched a scientifically based Dutch Clubfoot Guideline, a change for the clubfoot treatment in our country. At this moment I am running the clubfoot unit in Maxima Medical Center, one of the referral centers for clubfoot issues in the Netherlands. Together with two consultants and with important help from dedicated plaster physicians we care for the clubfoot patients.
I am also happy to work in a wonderful scientific group where we produce a lot of scientific clubfoot research, to evolve the clubfoot treatment further. One of the promising tools to bring the clubfoot treatment further and resolve the issue of unwanted variance is the Ponseti Clubfoot Navigator!
PCN Collaborator
Arnold Besselaar
MD
PCN Collaborator
Dr. Vineet Arora
MBBS, MS (ORTHO)
Dr. Vineet Arora is a Senior Orthopedic Surgeon based in New Delhi, India, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his medical education at the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, earning both MBBS and MS degrees. Dr. Arora's primary focus lies in Pediatric Orthopedics, particularly in the treatment of Clubfoot patients. For the past decade, he has collaborated with Cure India International, dedicating his efforts to the management of Clubfoot using the Ponseti method. Dr. Arora conducts a weekly clinic at DDU Hospital, New Delhi, contributing significantly to the field. His commitment to advancing CTEV management is influenced by Professor Shafique Pirani and Dr. Mathew Varghese from India. He currently serves as the Assistant Editor for JCOT.