Foot malposition

Introduction

Foot malpositions are all deviations from the normal position of a human foot. The causes and characteristics can be very different. The most common known malpositions are the flat foot, the flat foot, the hollow foot and the splayfoot.

The malpositions can occur without symptoms and remain without consequences, or they can be painful and result in malpositions of the legs. The causes range from congenital malpositioning to incorrect strain and muscle weakness. With a flat foot, the otherwise hollow underside of the foot, the so-called “longitudinal arch”, flattens.

If it comes to the point where the foot bends inwards and the longitudinal arch comes to rest completely flat on the ground, there is already a flat foot. With a splayfoot, the metatarsal bones move apart. The symptoms and also the causes are different than with a flat foot. The hollow foot is the exact opposite of the flat foot and is often associated with a genetic cause.

Cause

The causes of foot malpositions can be very numerous. A distinction must be made between congenital and acquired malpositions. Some of them are congenital malformations that have come about in the womb during development.

The clubfoot and the sicklefoot, for example, are among them, whereby the sicklefoot is a reversible defect. A hollow foot is also usually congenital. Above all, it is often genetically determined.

Another common cause is muscle weakness, which exerts a permanently incorrect pressure and traction load on the foot. This is especially the case with fallen arches and flat feet, but also with flat feet. The hollow foot can also be caused by muscle weakness.

Muscle weaknesses do not have to be innate, they can also occur through self-inflicted causes such as lack of training or incorrect loading of the feet. Splayfeet and consequently also hallux valgus are very often associated with permanent incorrect loading of the feet. Particularly pointed and high shoes are suspected of permanently damaging the foot with such a foot malposition.