Children with flat foot have a loss of arch or instep in the inner side of their feet. As the condition worsens it may give rise to pain in the feet and discomfort while walking. The posture may ultimately cause ankle, knee, hip and backache. The progression of flat feet deformity may be halted with orthotics, appropriate footwear and muscle strengthening and stretching exercises, but they do not cause a correction of the deformity. Refractory cases of flexible flat feet will need surgical bony and soft tissue correction and fixation with plates and screws. In children in selected cases a minimally invasive surgery can correct the deformity by inserting a small screw on the outer side of the heel bone (arthroreisis screw). In advanced cases with arthritis, bony correction is achieved by fusion of the involved joints in corrected position to achieve a normal plantigrade foot. Read More