Bibliographic Comparison of the Treatments in Children with Flatfoot

Abstract

Background: The flat foot is a common syndrome seen in the practice of pediatric health and there is no universally accepted definition and precise to define flat feet therefore the main aim of this study is better understand and manage paediatric flatfoot to make the best diagnosis, to find evidence supporting use of custom made orthotics by using the latest research available and to clarify if there is any difference in development between children with flat feet who receive a treatment for pes planus in scholar and pre-schooler and the ones that do not. Methods: The studies included in this bibliographic review examine the association between pes planus in children and the ideal treatment for those cases. Studies included were from 2006 to 2015 to ensure up-to-date results. Patient case studies between 3-14 years and adolescents up to 17 years old were used. Results: 45 studies were found with the selected keywords, 25 were excluded because they didn't meet the selection criteria. Of the 20 remaining studies, 12 were of conservative treatments for Pes planus, 2 of surgical treatments and 6 were articles related to factors that would potentially be useful as a part of a treatment. We classified the treatments listed in the studies as surgical or conservative. Conclusion: Flatfoot has a good established clinical term and a common diagnosis but there is a lack of consensus on the methods of evaluation. Flexible asymptomatic flatfoot in children under the age of seven, does not need use orthotic insoles, but periodically observation. Symptomatic flexible flatfoot should be treated with activity modification, stretching exercises and orthoses. If the response is not satisfactory, surgical intervention should be considered. Conservative management for rigid flatfoot indicated if it’s asymptomatic, but when nonsurgical options failed, operative interventions are warranted for painful flatfeet. Age is the primary predictor for flatfoot and the weight it’s a factor of prevalence. Patient’s control that didn’t follow any treatment (younger and older than 6 and older) reported improvement as well