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Pediatric Foot Deformities
Translated by AI

“Feet” are an important organ that helps absorb shock and body weight. However, it is currently found that more than 70 percent of the population has hidden conditions related to abnormal feet, such as improper walking patterns, toes pointing inward, bunions, overlapping toes while walking, leading to various consequences.
Foot abnormalities can occur from childhood and are conditions that are hidden within without showing symptoms unless the feet are heavily used, such as walking long distances. Abnormally shaped feet cannot support body weight as well as normal feet, a condition commonly found in Asians, especially Thai children.

Flat Feet Condition in Children

Flat feet is one of the common abnormalities in humans and is quite related to the Thai people due to genetic causes that make the arch of the foot, originally with a 20 – 25 degree curve, deform due to the arrangement of all 26 bones.

Having flat feet makes weight bearing inefficient, bone alignment deviates, causing heels to spread out and knees to twist inward. This condition is considered a disease when symptoms show, usually after the age of 30 – 40 years, often with symptoms of tendon pain, calf pain, knee pain, unable to exert force as others of the same age, or lead to complications such as degenerative joint diseases.

Such symptoms become evident once the bones are fully formed and become a significant problem for diabetic patients. The pressure may cause wounds on the feet that are difficult to heal, and taking anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain may not be the right treatment.

Treatment Approaches

Normal physical performance can be achieved from the first steps in childhood. Nowadays, medical science can diagnose abnormalities from an early stage using Pedographical Studies to detect intense forces causing abnormalities in the feet by footprint printing or using high-speed cameras with weight point sensors to inspect abnormalities in detail up to 1,000 times per second. Diagnosing foot shape can identify congenital pathologies related to biomechanics, such as calluses, corns, pressure points, and bruises. If abnormalities are detected early, it is possible to correct the foot shape to normal by creating supportive devices or orthotics, such as insoles or specially designed boots that correspond to each person’s foot shape.

Orthopedic Shoes

Shoes are one of the orthopedic devices that help solve the problem of flat feet in children to become closer to a normal foot shape. However, it must be shoes specially designed to fit each child’s foot, which are different.

Insoles can help distribute the pressure of body weight and adjust flat feet gradually to form an arch, as well as specially designed boots with internal additions to help lift and shape the feet.

The treatment process takes about 2 years without the need for medication or surgery. The doctor will monitor the treatment progress, adjusting to check the increased angles and alignment of the feet every 4 months until the feet are in normal condition.