Written by: Cherri Choate, DPM
9/23/2009

How and when to treat the child with flat feet has been a question that decades of clinicians have attempted to answer.   This is certainly a question full of many smaller questions:  When do you treat? How do you treat?  Prefabricated vs. custom?  How much correction?  How much  influence does the shoe have? When do you treat to prevent other long term issues?

Over the past few years, researchers have started focusing on the pediatric population.  Included in this research are some studies involving the pediatric flat foot.  It is refreshing to start seeing objective data about an age old question that has been addressed primarily with speculation. (Articles)

My take home messages, to date, include the following:
    * Childhood obesity is on the rise and flat feet seems to be more prevelant in this population
    * A new treatment algorithm has been suggested that basis treatment on symptoms as well as severity of pathology
    * Within populations of children with flat feet, treatment is inconsistent 
    * Most studies have shown medial column/medial rearfoot biomechanical intervention (wedge, skive, high heel cup, etc.) usually results in    improvement of symptoms and severity of flatfoot pathology
   
As more of this information becomes available, it is likely that a more evidence based approach will be developed for the pediatric flat foot.  

Follow these links for more information about ProLab's current Pediatric Flattfoot custom orthotic and Prefab Kiddythotics.





 

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