Which feature characterizes the Denis Browne splint?

• A. A knee brace
• B. Bar connecting two shoes which can swivel
• C. A hip abduction bar
• D. A foot plate with ankle joint

Answer: (B)

The Denis Browne splint is built to treat clubfoot by keeping both feet in an abducted position. Its defining feature is two shoes connected by a bar that can swivel at the connections, allowing the clinician to adjust and maintain gradual, customized abduction and slight dorsiflexion as the child grows. This setup specifically enables sustained passive correction of foot alignment.

Other devices described don’t match this purpose: a knee brace stabilizes the knee, a hip abduction bar addresses hip positioning, and a foot plate with an ankle joint refers to a different type of ankle–foot orthosis not connecting two shoes with a swivel bar.