©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
How to approach the pediatric flatfoot
Ettore Vulcano, Camilla Maccario, Mark S Myerson, Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States
Author contributions: Vulcano E, Maccario C and Myerson MS contributed equally to this work.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors and their immediate family declare no conflict of interest.
Correspondence to: Ettore Vulcano, MD, Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, 301 Saint Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202, United States. ettorevulcano@hotmail.com
Telephone: +1-410-3329242
Received: April 7, 2015
Peer-review started: April 8, 2015
First decision: July 6, 2015
Revised: October 19, 2015
Accepted: November 3, 2015
Article in press: November 4, 2015
Published online: January 18, 2016
Processing time: 282 Days and 23.1 Hours
Peer-review started: April 8, 2015
First decision: July 6, 2015
Revised: October 19, 2015
Accepted: November 3, 2015
Article in press: November 4, 2015
Published online: January 18, 2016
Processing time: 282 Days and 23.1 Hours
Abstract
The most difficult aspect regarding treatment of the pediatric flatfoot is understanding who needs surgery, when it is necessary, and what procedure to be done. A thorough history, clinical examination, and imaging should be performed to guide the surgeon through an often complex treatment path. Surgical technique can be divided in three categories: Soft tissue, bony, and arthroereisis. This paper will describe the joint preserving techniques and their application to treat the pediatric flatfoot deformity.
Keywords: Flatfoot; Flexible; Arthroereisis; Pediatric; Planovalgus; Rigid; Pes planus
Core tip: This paper discusses the authors’ approach to treating the pediatric flatfoot based on the their extensive clinical and surgical experience.