Paediatric orthopaedics is a specialized branch of orthopaedics surgery which deals with musculoskeletal problems (bone, joint and muscle) in a child who is still growing. It also includes musculoskeletal problems of young adults, which are squeal of their childhood disease.
2. As a postural deformity, flat feet make a kid’s feet press flat on the
ground. As it collapses the arch of the feet, the kid’s body weight is
distributed unevenly. Hence, the deformity places persistent stress on
the kid’s feet, ankle, or knees. The common symptoms of flat feet are
knee pain and inflation of the Achilles tendon.
3. Your kid may experience knee pain due to flexible flat foot or rigid flat
foot. You have to identify the type of flat foot by observing the kid’s
foot arches in a number of positions – placing the feet on bed,
standing on tip toes and curling the toes. The kid has flexible flat foot
if his foot arches reappear in these conditions.
4. On the other hand, the kid has rigid flat foot if his foot arches do not
reappear in these positions. It is always important to get the flat feet
diagnosed by a skilled orthopaedic instead of performing self-
diagnosis.
5. The Process on Flat Feet Diagnosis
The orthopaedic surgeons diagnose flat feet by observing the kid’s feet
in various position when he is standing. They also diagnose the postural
deformity by performing a slew of visual examinations – wet footprint,
shoe inspection, tiptoe and additional toes. These visual examinations
help the orthopaedic to observe your kid’s feet from varying angles and
detect if he is having rigid flat feet or flexible flat feet.
6. The doctors often recommend imaging tests if the kid is experiencing
excessive foot pain. The imaging tests help the orthopaedic surgeon to
identify the type and underlying causes of flat feet accurately. The
orthopaedic can diagnose flat feet based on x-ray, computed
tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or ultrasound results.
Some orthopaedic even decide the best way to treat flat feet by
combining both visual examinations and imaging tests.
7. The Process of Flat Feet Treatment
The orthopaedic find it easier to treat flat feet when the postural
deformity is diagnosed early. Sometimes delay in diagnosis and
treatment causes irreversible damage to the kid’s feet.
8. The skilled orthopaedic treats flexible flat feet and rigid flat feet
treatment differently. They even try to treat flat feet without
performing any surgery.
9. Initially, they make the kid wear supporting shoes, perform stretching
exercises, or undergo physical therapy.
10. They minimize knee pain by providing the kid with custom designed
arch supports.
11. But orthopaedics needs to perform surgery if the initial treatment
fails. They perform surgery to correct the postural deformity
permanently.
12. Your kid may experience knee pain due to either flexible flat feet or
rigid flat feet.
13. The symptoms and causes of flat foot differ from one child to another.
14. You must get the postural deformity diagnosed and treated by a
skilled orthopaedic to alleviate the knee pain quickly and
permanently.
15. However, it is always important to get the kid’s flat feet treated by the
right medical practitioner.