Pediatric Foot & Ankle

Pediatric Flat Feet Treatment

July 15, 2021 Dr. Mikkel Jarman Season 1 Episode 5
Pediatric Foot & Ankle
Pediatric Flat Feet Treatment
Show Notes Transcript

Pediatric flat feet is a condition in which the entire bottom of the child's foot touches the ground. It occurs when the arch either fails to develop or collapses. This condition is fairly common since children's feet bones and joints are still extremely flexible. In most cases, the condition doesn't require treatment. However, in some cases, treatment is required and there are both conservative and surgical options depending on the child's specific condition and severity.

Hyprocure is minimally invasive procedure that treats flat feet in children by inserting a small titanium stint between the heel and ankle.

Custom orthotics may be used to treat pediatric flat feet as well.

Hi, I'm Dr. Michael Jarman here with Pediatric Foot& Ankle, and I'd like to talk to you today about the debilitating condition of the pediatric flatfoot. Usually a patient will present here in the office with a concerned mother or parent regarding their child's painful flat feet, or it's a referral from their pediatrician to have their child evaluated for painful flatfoot. The diagnosis is usually visual, as you'll see a complete or partial collapse of the instep of the child's foot from the front, with the feet pointed out and from the back, the heel will have a visual appearance of a rolling in and the ankles will look like they're going to touch each other as the child stands. When I examine these children, I usually find that they have pain on the inside of their ankles and they arches their feet. There is a tremendous amount of instability and misalignment in these feet that causes them to almost slap the ground as they walk and run and do not allow normal forces to pass through them. There's always been two options to correct or improve a child's symptoms. Conservatively there is orthotic management, and non-conservative, there is surgical correction. To touch on these briefly conservative management is with a very controlling orthotic. This is an external way to control the foot, while surgical may be an internal way. When I place a child into an orthotic device, there is a tremendous improvement and most times complete symptom control, as long as the child is compliant with wearing the appropriate shoe gear, and always wearing the orthotic. Correcting the instability of the hind foot internally to most patients and parents may sound scary, but it is a very noninvasive procedure that does not damage, does not violate any of the bones or joints. It's a titanium stent that is placed through a small incision into a naturally occurring space between the ankle and the heel bone that acts as a doorstop and controls the instability. It has a ninety four percent success rate and often will eliminate the need for an orthotic device. These children will walk immediately after the procedure in a can boot and two weeks later they're back in regular shoe gear. Pain in these children is not normal. Pain is a symptom that something is not right. As a physician, my responsibility is to accurately diagnose your child, to educate you, the parent and your child regarding this condition and to provide treatment options that will eradicate your child's pain if your child is experiencing pain in their feet, in their knees or their back and you suspect that they have a flat foot, please contact our office today. I'm Dr. Michael Jarman. Thanks for watching.