Flat feet are typically first recognized by a parent noting the collapsed appearance of the foot’s arch and a rolling-in of the ankles in children. Naturally, being concerned, they request an opinion from the child’s pediatricians and are invariably advised, “Don’t worry; they will grow out of it.” Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Flat feet cause abnormal stress and strain in all joints and tissues from the feet to the back. They are not only responsible for many deformities of the feet, as well as functional debility, but are believed to be a major cause in the need of future knee and hip replacement, secondary to the osteoarthritis caused by the resultant inefficient ability to absorb shock and propel forward on the flat foot.