Flat foot condition in children

Dr. Vikas Basa, Consultant, Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai talks in detail about the flat foot condition seen in children and explains the medical care required.

When the entire sole of the foot is in contact with the ground it is termed a Flat foot. Also called pes planus.
A flat foot is a developmental condition in which the arch of the foot fails to develop or there is a collapse of the arch. This condition is quite common in children and usually, it is secondary to extremely flexible ligaments of their joints. It does not require any treatment except physical therapy and medial arch insoles. When there is pes planus valgus, we give them supra malleolar orthosis (SMO).

If a child presents with pain and the arch does not appear on standing toes we evaluate the feet by doing a standing x-ray to rule out a tarsal coalition in which few tarsal bone fuse limiting the movement between the bone and causing the pain.