Consequences of a foot malposition | Foot malposition

Consequences of a foot malposition

In the case of congenital foot malpositions, the type of deformity determines which treatment is applied. A whole range of malpositions do not need to be treated, for example the sickle foot. They recede either after a short time or at the latest after longitudinal growth, for example at school age.

Depending on the severity of the malposition, pain occurs, or the patient becomes insecure in walking or even has poor posture and damage to the spine. A flat foot is often not noticed until the child takes its first steps, but a clubfoot must be treated immediately after birth. However, the prognosis is very good for all congenital foot malpositions.

Even the serious form of clubfoot can almost completely eliminate the malposition after successful therapy. However, regular check-ups by the doctor are necessary, since feet that have been deformed once can also deteriorate again after therapy. In the case of foot malpositions that are not congenital, the prognosis is usually worse.

Orthopedic insoles are often prescribed, but the cause of the malposition must also be corrected. Targeted strengthening of the foot muscles can contribute to this. However, patients often complain of permanent pain throughout their lives.

Over time, the malpositions also lead to damage to the knee and back. Posture is also affected by this. After treatment for hallux valgus, the patient can usually walk normally with the help of an orthopedic shoe.

Which doctor should I see?

If you have acquired a foot malposition, you should consult an orthopedic specialist as soon as possible. Often the process can be stopped before it gets worse and worse. The orthopedic surgeon can also initiate therapy for congenital foot malpositions in consultation with the pediatrician.

Foot malpositions in the baby

In newborn babies, various foot malpositions can occur. A distinction must be made between malformations of the extremities and deformities in the womb. The probability for a baby to be born with a foot malposition is a maximum of 2%.

Children are particularly likely to have harmless flat feet, which are only noticed when the child starts walking. The longitudinal arch of the foot is flattened and the foot is slightly bent inwards. Often there is an additional X-position of the legs.

In most cases, muscle weaknesses in early childhood are the cause.The usually harmless foot malposition usually corrects itself by growth until school age. It can help to let the children walk barefoot as much as possible. The flat foot is an extreme form of the flat foot, but it is rarely congenital.

Both foot malpositions occur frequently when the parents have also been affected. The sickle-foot occurs as a congenital foot malposition, which is however also to be classified as rather harmless. One assumes that through lack of space and further factors in the womb, the foot of the unborn remains in a forced position.

The foot thus arches inwards and appears like a sickle. The sickle position also almost always balances itself out by itself in the course of growth. Nevertheless, the foot should be examined regularly by the doctor in charge.

If this foot malposition persists, it can lead to gait insecurity. The pointed foot, heel foot and clubfoot are foot malpositions that have arisen as a result of developmental disorders in the womb. The causes can be different and range from neurological developmental disorders to mechanical influence on the unborn child.

The clubfoot is a relatively common disorder. The foot is arched downwards and inwards and often occurs on both sides. Clubfoot is not a simple foot malposition, but rather deformities of the joints and bony changes.

Therefore, it is often detected by ultrasound during pregnancy. Since there are severe movement restrictions if left untreated, therapy must be started as soon as possible after birth. Operations are not always necessary.

The treatment consists mainly of the application of a tight plaster cast, which is changed every week. In the case of the pointed foot and the heel foot, pressure loads in the womb can also be the cause, but more often the foot or lower leg is malformed. With the pointed foot, the foot is clearly overstretched and the heel hardly touches down when walking.

With the heel foot, the foot is strongly stretched upwards so that the tip of the foot almost touches the shin. Both malpositions can lead to considerable pain, incorrect posture of the body, gait insecurity, as well as damage to the spine. If the malpositions do not recede by themselves, treatment with a plaster cast can also be carried out here.