Severe Adult Flatfoot

Flatfoot is a common condition affecting many children, adolescents, and adults. Is not rare to see a 3 to 12-year-old child with flatfeet. Many times, this condition can be corrected in younger generations between 2-7 years with custom orthotics, or custom made shoe inserts. If not treated properly, the child will grow into an adult with progressive flatfeet deformity, and often patients will develop a severe painful deformity with gradual worsening, which affects not only the joints of the foot and ankle but also the knee and lower back/spine.

Severe flatfoot on a young adult patient can develop into a crippling, debilitating foot /ankle deformity within ten years, and could severely affect the walking, posture, and ability of the young and adult patient, to walk or run without pain. The pictures below show an adult 55-year-old who developed a gradual worsening of her early in age flatfeet condition. Walking long distances was painful, affecting not only the feet and ankle joints with earlier arthritis, but also involved her knees and lower back as well! The patient underwent a complete examination, diagnostics studies, and evaluation to provide treatment options. Due to the progressive nature and severity of her flatfeet condition, reconstructive surgery of "one extremity at a time" was performed. In this case the right foot was corrected first. Both feet cannot be corrected at the same time because it could place the patient into possible exponential complications during and after surgical intervention.

At this point, the degree of deformity shown in the picture below on the left foot and ankle has not had a surgical correction. The right side is corrected.

Fortunately, we were able to help this patient, and after long period of 4-6 months of full recovery, she was able to walk comfortably on her right foot and ankle.

This is one example of a foot / ankle pathology we can effectively treat. There are many others....Call to make an appointment or at least to ask about the possibility of being treated for your foot and ankle condition(s).