We are one of the first departments in the Shanghai area and even in China to treat children with flat feet with modern concepts. In the past, it was thought that the development of flat feet in children could not be stopped, and many affected children delayed treatment because of this. However, as parents of children with flat feet, there is no need to be particularly nervous, as long as the basics of this condition are clarified, treatment will not be missed.
At this time, unless the foot is very flat and the shoe is easy to slip off, surgical treatment is not necessary. For these children, we use arch pads to support the treatment, but the arch pads neither change the shape of the foot nor make the arch form. If the child is still flat-footed by age 8, some children will have symptoms, complaining of foot pain, arch fatigue, and not being able to keep up with other children during sports activities. This is the time to go to the hospital for treatment. If parents do not pay the necessary attention at this time, the affected foot may change from a soft flat foot to a fixed flat foot, and treatment becomes more complicated and less effective than before. It is important to recognize this point.
Treatment includes both conservative and surgical treatment. If shoe changes and arch pads do not improve symptoms, surgical treatment may be required. There are two successful surgical approaches, one involving the implantation of a columnar peg in the subtalar joint; the other is an osteotomy orthosis. Columnar pins have been shown to be very effective in correcting flat feet.