Adult Flat Foot

Adult Flat Foot

Adult Acquired Flat Foot is a disorder which leads to a collapse of the arch and is usually accompanied by significant pain on the inside and sometimes the outside portion of the ankle.  A leading cause of a flat foot deformity is tearing and degeneration of the posterior tibial tendon.  Initial treatment consists of non-operative measures.  These include relative rest, analgesic medications, and possible immobilization in a boot or a brace.  If these measures work well, physical therapy and orthotics are then utilized.  If non-operative measures are not successful, surgery can be entertained.  A number of different surgeries are utilized and often lead to less pain and improved function.  The specific surgery that is utilized depends on the patient and the type of deformity that exists.

Surgery to correct Adult Acquired Flat Foot can be broadly classified into 2 types.  These include motion sparring surgery and fusion surgery.