Flat Feet

The arch of the human foot is a crucial component of the human foot. The arch of the foot provides elasticity to the foot. The utility model can absorb the ground’s impact force on the foot and lock the middle foot joint, making the foot harder and allowing the human body to move more freely.

Flatfoot, also known as Flatfoot illness, is a malformation characterized by a low or absent arch, valgus, standing, or walking arch collapse, and foot pain. Many flat feet, particularly in youngsters, are asymptomatic and require no treatment. Only a tiny percentage of children with flat feet develop alterations in their overall posture through time, and some of these children may have atypical foot bone structures, such as vertical talus, tarsal union, and so on.

As adults, women over 50 are more likely to have flat feet. In non-weight-bearing settings, the arch of the foot exists, but it vanishes after weight-bearing. The reversible flat foot, also known as the flexible flat foot, arises at this time due to the joint’s mobility. The deformity can’t be reduced if there are joint lesions that prevent movement, which is referred to as inflexible flat foot.

 

 

The root of the problem

Flatness is a condition that can be inherited or acquired. Between the ages of 4 and 6, the arch of the foot develops in children. Flat feet are common among children and teenagers. Adult flatfoot can be a continuation of a child’s flatfoot, or it can be a secondary cause of arch collapse due to other factors. Adult acquired flat foot syndrome refers to symptomatic adult secondary flat foot syndrome. Secondary arch collapse can be caused by a variety of factors, including joint degeneration, trauma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, malignancies, and tibialis tendon failure.

 

Clinical Significance

The following structural changes in the foot can be caused by arch collapse: 1. Achilles tendon contracture: the moment of the Achilles tendon operating on the ankle joint is reduced once the medial longitudinal arch collapses, and the Achilles tendon’s pulling force cannot be properly communicated to the forefoot through the stiff arch; The Achilles tendon must be shorter, tighter, and more strong to propel the body forward and raise the heel; 2. The midtarsal joint must not be locked; 3 forefoot displacement: the metatarsal is bent, the calcaneus is subluxated backward, and the front calcaneal tubercle no longer supports the talus after the medial longitudinal arch collapses. Both the forefoot and middle foot migrate dorsally and laterally around the talus to suit this configuration. 4 tibialis posterior tendon stress, prone to tibialis posterior tendon strain. Forefoot abduction, lateral column of foot shortened. In severe cases, the medial ligament of the foot may be injured; 5 pronation of the subtalar joint and valgus of the calcaneus; 6 middle foot instability may cause the subtalar joint and the Talar navicular joint to be in an abnormal position for a long time, and these joints will degenerate and become fixed deformities. This puts greater strain on the ankle, causing it to degenerate over time. Clinically, the pathogenic changes mentioned above can be seen as follows:

1. Discomfort

It usually starts on the medial side of the sole (pain in the medial posterior area of the foot) and gets worse after a lengthy duration of standing or walking. Pain near the lateral malleolus of the ankle might also occur on occasion. This is produced by the arch of the foot collapsing, causing eversion of the foot and the fibula colliding with the calcaneus.

2. Inflammation

Extraarticular swelling, particularly in the scaphoid tubercle, is painful.

3. Unusual gait

Foot pain and arch collapse can lead to decreased running and even walking abilities, as well as aberrant gaits like figure-eight gait.

4. Awkward gait and pain

It can cause overpronation and pronation of the affected foot, which can lead to compensatory pronation of the knee and compensatory pronation of the hip, which can cause discomfort and arthritis in the knee, hip, and lower back. Lower back pain may be the only symptom in some persons with flat feet.

Severe Flatfoot is a condition that affects a person’s ability to

Visible ankle and other joint involvement, such as reduced or stiffness of the subtalar joint and tarsal transverse joint.

Flat-feet

Metatarsal fascia, tarsal sinus syndrome, and other conditions may be present.

 

Make a check

The patient was instructed to stand up and check the overall force line of the hindfoot and forefoot from the front and back of the ankle during the initial assessment. Under load, observe the contour of the foot’s longitudinal arch. In patients with over-relaxed flat feet, soft toes, and over-relaxed metatarsophalangeal joints, foot structures may appear normal in sitting but change considerably following loading. The affected hind feet are everted and polydactyly due to forefoot abduction, as seen from the back. When the patient stretched his knee from the back, he did a unilateral or bilateral heel raising test. A posterior tibialis tendon illness is indicated by a failure to complete a unilateral heel lift or a lack of symmetrical pronation of the rear foot.

The auxiliary examination method is mostly x-ray examination; we should take the foot positive lateral X-ray film while weight-bearing, primarily measuring the angle change of the foot arch on the foot lateral film.

 

The prognosis

1. a history of congenital aberrant foot bone alignment or trauma to the foot, overburden, foot muscle and ligament weakness, and so on. 2. The plantar is flat and the longitudinal arch of the foot is collapsed. Fatigue, soreness, and tenderness are common in the heel Valgus, line, or standing. 3. The plantar print was utilized to examine the non-arcuate defect area and establish the kind and degree of the plantar defect. 4. X-ray pictures revealed a collapse of the foot’s longitudinal arch and a shift in the tarsometatarsus’ axial connection.

Medications

 

Not only in adults, but also in children and adolescents, early recognition of the disease is critical, and it should be followed by aggressive investigation and therapy to identify the reason and prevent possibly permanent changes in bones and joints. The foot pad is a more regularly used non-surgical treatment that can relieve discomfort while also supporting the arch and preventing dislocation of the joint. Furthermore, wearing shoes with hard soles provides significant support for the soles of the feet, whereas rocker-sole shoes alleviate ankle stress while walking. Wearing walking boots to relieve the symptoms of ankle disease is possible, but foot pads and other orthotics will not totally rectify the talus aberrant position, allowing a full restoration to normal arch. If non-surgical treatment fails for a severe deformity, the right surgery might be chosen based on the type of lesion. The arch of the foot can be rebuilt by a sequence of soft tissue and bone reconstructions. Many subtalar arthrodesis procedures have been undertaken in recent years to repair and stabilize the talus by inserting a subtalar joint brake in the tarsal canal. Children with flat feet who are treated with subtalar joint stabilizers should be between the ages of 6 and 12. Because the body of the body can restore the arch after remodeling, even if the stabilizer is removed, the arch of the foot can be maintained for life. The procedure is straightforward, the wound is small, complications are rare, and the curative result is more precise and satisfying. Subtalar joint stabilizers, on the other hand, must be utilized in conjunction with other bone or soft tissue surgeries in adult patients with fixed foot deformity or joint illness to achieve the desired results.

 

Preventative measures

 

Plantar walking, plantar flexion, heel elevating, and external rotation are examples of functional exercises for the inner and outside muscles of the foot. Simultaneously, choosing shoes with sufficient arch support and avoiding standing for lengthy periods of time will help prevent Flatfoot illness.