Flat Foot Surgery

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Medical center /Services /Foot and ancle / Flat Foot Surgery

Flat feet are a certain type of malformation, requiring foot reconstruction. With the malfunction of flat feet, the inner part of the foot starts lowering down and even touches the floor. Flat foot usually becomes noticeable only with secondary signs when hallux valgus occurs. This is the so-called growing lump on the joint and the curvature of the first toe (it starts to stick out to the side).

The arch on the inner side in the structure of the foot provides shock absorption when moving. With the help of such , the foot moves smoothly: it switches to a walk, to a step, to a run, and at the same time the joints are not injured. Therefore, when flat feet are formed, joint trauma can increase and consequently, flat feet. The biomechanics of walking and correct functioning gets disrupted.

By evolution, the foot is not designed to constantly walk on a hard, flat surface. Today many houses have parquet flooring, and there is concrete and asphalt on the street, that is, a flat solid surface is to be found everywhere. And the foot, which for thousands of years has been accustomed to walking on sand, earth, stones, has to adapt to a flat surface, thus causing flat feet. In addition, in recent centuries, the way of life has changed: people have become less active, particularly, in the workplace; high-heeled footwear is extremely popular; there are kinds of labor that can chronically injure the foot and cause flat feet.

Causes of Flat Feet

Flat feet, which can be noticed from a younger age, are usually inborn and can be transmitted from parents and grandparents. There are also people with flat feet observed by an orthopedist in Orlando since childhood, and this disorder stays even in case of regular treatment.

Standing work, for example, can lead to flat feet in adulthood. Teachers, salespeople, by virtue of their profession, stand on their feet for many hours a day and it can happen for decades. Thus, the foot begins to deform and flatten, and that calls for foot reconstruction.

Another reason for flat feet is hormonal changes that women experience (flat feet, as a rule, are more widely spread with females). This is, firstly, the stage of puberty, then pregnancy and childbirth. Some women become pregnant and give birth multiple times during their life. In this case, in particular, the restructuring of the connective tissue occurs. That is, the body prepares for childbirth, then returns, let’s say, to its previous state, and then again prepares for childbirth. The connective tissue begins to stretch and then becomes strong again. At the same moment, the foot and the muscle functioning get affected by such changes, and flat foot occurs, if the treatment is postponed.

The third reason for flat feet is traumas of the foot, heel or bones in the ankle joint. They can also lead to flat feet.

Symptoms of Flat Feet

Signs of flat foot are:

puffiness in the leg;
aching in the feet;
varicose veins on the lower extremities;
hallux valgus (the knees seem to be drawn inward).

In addition, the foot itself is piled inward, that is, it is clear that the person seems to be walking on the inside of the foot. Because of flat foot, the shoe can be erased (the heel or heel on the inside, or the place under the first toe), or the insole, which is in the shoe, can be pressed through.

Non-surgical Treatment of Flat Feet

There are several methods of treatment and our Orlando doctors use them in a complex plan to get rid of flat foot:

orthopedic insoles. It is better, of course, to order individual ones, selected considering the characteristics of flat feet;
manual therapy. Such treatment will tone up certain muscles, relieve hypertonicity from the muscles that take on part of the load. Therefore, this treatment will help to normalize the function of the foot.
physiotherapy exercises. There is a certain set of flat foot exercises in which the muscles and tendons responsible for the arches of the foot are involved. These muscles and tendons need to be trained daily.

If there is excess weight, it must be reduced in order to minimize the load on the feet. If flat feet are the cause of standing at work, there must be breaks. A teacher, for example, at recess, can do the flat foot exercises necessary to stimulate the tone of the muscles and tendons responsible for the arches of the flat foot.

Flat foot Surgery

All surgeries of flat foot can be divided into three types:

surgery on soft tissues: when the tendon is involved(most often used for minor deformities);
surgery on bones: when it is necessary to change the shape and position of deformed bones;
prosthetic surgery: when an implant is inserted that holds the foot in the correct position and does not allow it to bend down.

With combined types of flat feet, several surgical techniques of foot reconstruction can be used simultaneously.

The effectiveness of SCARF, Akin, Lapidus, Chevron, Weil, BRT, Helal treatment techniques has been confirmed by hundreds of flat foot surgeons. Medical center “Touch of Health” applies foot reconstruction methods recognized and applied all over the world for flat foot operations and postoperative recovery, which guarantee a lasting effect in case of flat foot.

Flat Foot Reconstruction

Foot reconstruction is a minimally invasive technique in Orlando. The surgery allows speeding up the process of the tissue regeneration and reduces possible pain. The patient with flat foot will be able to move independently within a few days after the treatment, but depending on the type of surgery, it may be necessary to wear a plaster cast.

For reconstructive foot surgery, implants, screws and various fixing devices can be used. They are made of hypoallergenic materials and are not rejected by the body. In the future, they also do not interfere with MRI and other types of hardware diagnostics and treatment.

It is important that after the foot reconstruction there are minimal scars that are practically invisible on the surface of the skin. Postoperative healing of flat foot takes 1–2 months.

During this period, the patient must wear special fixing shoes. Reconstructive surgery involves the impact not only on bone structures, but also on ligaments and tendons.