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What are Flat Feet?

What are Flat Feet?

by | Feb 3, 2022 | Clubfoot & Foot Disorders, General News

At Scottish Rite for Children, the Center for Excellence in Foot includes a multidisciplinary team of experts who collaborate to determine the best treatment plan for each patient. We know there are a lot of questions if your child begins treatment for their flat feet (Pes Planus). Below are the most commonly asked and the answers from our team. What are flat feet? Flat feet are the flattening of the arches of the feet when standing. What is the cause? Children’s bones and joints are flexible, which can cause their feet to flatten when they stand. Babies are often born with flat feet, and this condition may continue into early childhood. Flat feet can also be hereditary or run-in families. In most children, the feet become less flexible, the arch develops, and flat feet disappear by the age of five or six, but some children continue to have flat feet into adulthood. Do flat feet cause pain? Flat feet are usually painless and do not interfere with walking or participation in sports. In young children, flat feet are not associated with pain to the knees, hips or back. What are the two types of flat feet? 1. Flexible flat feet
  • A flexible flat foot is a variation of a normal foot.
  • Flexible flat feet can be normal in most infants and toddlers, as the arch has not yet developed.
  • The arch is visible when the child is sitting or on their tiptoes, but the arch collapses when the child is standing.
  • This type may be seen in multiple family members.
2. Rigid flat feet
  • A rigid flat foot means that there is no arch in the foot, even when the child is standing on the tiptoes.
  • The motion of the foot and ankle is stiff.
  • X-rays or other imaging may be ordered to determine why your child has a rigid flat foot.
What are treatments for painful flat feet?
  • Most flat feet are not painful and do not require any treatment.
  • For painful flat feet, treatment is focused on comfort and flexibility.
    • Shoe inserts or tennis shoes with a stiff sole and good arch support may be used for painful flat feet, but they will not permanently change the appearance of the foot.
    • Over-the-counter gel and soft shoe inserts are often recommended.
    •  Hard plastic inserts tend to cause discomfort.
    • A referral may be made to an orthotist, for custom shoe inserts.
  • A stretching exercise program may be recommended for flexible flat feet with tight heel cords.
  • Surgery is not recommended in most cases of flat feet.
Learn more about the common foot disorders our experts treat.
Pediatric Foot Disorders: What Are We Learning From Research?

Pediatric Foot Disorders: What Are We Learning From Research?

by | May 2, 2019 | Research & Innovation

Scottish Rite for Children Center for Excellence in Foot includes a multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to advancing the treatment for complex pediatric foot conditions. Directed by Anthony I Riccio, M.D., the center conducts comprehensive research into clubfoot – a congenital disorder in which the child’s foot is severely turned inward and pointed downward. In addition, Dr. Riccio leads the research for complex adolescent foot disorders. Alongside an adult foot and ankle surgeon, Riccio works with a diverse group of specialists to analyze these cases and conducts research to advance how the disorders are treated. 

Prospective Evaluation of Treatment for Clubfoot
Purpose:  To help orthopedic surgeons better understand and treat patients with a diagnosis of clubfoot.  

The research team is collecting data from hospital patients who volunteer to participate in the study. The team is currently evaluating the immediate and long-term outcomes of patients who undergo surgical and non-surgical treatment interventions. Participants are followed until skeletal maturity and are asked to participate in questionnaires, motor and strength tests, gait analyses and pedobarographs (a device that measures foot pressure abnormalities) along the way. Currently, there are over 1,500 patients enrolled in the study. This research will establish a protocol for the collection of relevant clinical and functional outcome measures on our patients with a diagnosis of clubfoot.

The Foot and Ankle Registry
Purpose: To further the understanding of the functional and long-term outcomes of adolescents treated for a foot and/or ankle deformity by creating a prospective registry for patients treated at the hospital.

The research team is currently collecting data on adolescent patients who visit the hospital for any form of foot or ankle deformity. Currently, there are about 300 patients enrolled. Some of the deformities include bunions, flat feet, coalitions and several others of varying severity. If eligible, patients are invited to voluntarily participate in the study activities. These include:

  • Questionnaires
  • Clinical photos in the media department
  • X-rays
  • Gait analysis in the movement science lab 

The data collected will provide the research team the opportunity to evaluate the immediate and long-term clinical, functional and radiographic outcomes of this understudied patient population. By doing this, the foot and ankle experts hope to better define the treatment methods for the varying foot and ankle diagnoses throughout the hospital.

Redefining the Juvenile Bunion
Purpose: To understand the formation of juvenile bunions and if experts should treat them differently from the adult deformity. 

This was a study using the questionnaires, X-rays and pedobarographic data from 32 bunion patients in the Foot and Ankle Registry. The study team collected data from the X-rays through measurements of different angles associated with the foot and correlated them to the completed questionnaires from patients and performance during the pedopbarograph. The study team found that greater angles correlated with skewed pressure distribution of the foot resulting in higher pain and less functionality. Overall, this study will open the door to many more comparative projects to assess the best method of treating juvenile bunions.

Learn more about the research being conducted in the Center for Excellence in Foot.