CAVUS FOOT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Causes

The following neurological illnesses or other problems are frequently caused by high arches:

• Polio
• Muscular dystrophy
• Stroke
• Spina bifida
• Cerebral palsy
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

It’s critical for your doctor to determine the root of your child’s high arches so that an effective treatment strategy can be developed. A neurological condition that results in cavus foot is likely to get worse over time. If it is genetically based, it most likely won’t change.

Diagnosing Cavus Foot

Initially, at Medical City Children’s Orthopedics and Spine Specialists, we ask your child to stand while we look for cavus foot symptoms on their feet. We frequently want to evaluate the feet of parents and other family members as well since cavus foot tends to run in families. We also look for:

• The health of your child’s legs, ankles, feet, and toes since cavus foot frequently coexists with disorders that cause weak muscles
• Verify the flexibility and proper form of your child’s spine.
• Leg and abdominal reflexes of your child (abdomen)

We’ll inquire about any issues your youngster has experienced with bladder or bowel control. We will next take radiographs of your child’s feet and back. We shall start searching for the root of the issue as soon as we are aware that your child has a cavus foot.

Treatment Options

The underlying reason for high arches will decide what kind of medical care your child will receive. Based on your child’s current state, the flexibility of your child’s arch, and any success with non-surgical methods, a doctor will establish a diagnosis. Additionally, surgery can make your child’s foot more stable and prevent imbalances from developing when the stronger muscles try to make up for your weaker ones. High arches come in a variety of cases. When it comes to surgical treatments, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. A surgeon will assess your child’s particular situation and provide a recommendation. In situations of inherited high arches, one operation is typically sufficient to address the issue.

If your child has high arches as a result of a neurological condition, he or she could require more than one operation to adequately correct the problem. More strain is placed on the feet as a result of high arches, which may cause unpleasant sensations. Finding shoes that fit properly might be difficult for those with high arches. In certain instances, the disorder might cause impairment. For those with high arches, there are several treatment options available. Your child’s foot flexibility is one of the variables that will determine the best approach. Following are some options for cavus foot treatment:

Orthotics

In order to provide extra cushioning and support your child’s foot in a more advantageous posture, you may add inserts to his or her shoes. The second source of additional hindfoot support is high-topped footwear or ankle boots. If your child has high arches, it’s critical to wear supportive, comfy shoes. There is no best shoe for this condition, and parents need to find a good one for their child.  Ensure that the shoe you choose offers additional cushioning and support. A custom-made insert can help reduce pain. Even though orthotics are available over the counter, getting a tailored pair will yield the optimum benefits.

Bracing

In rare circumstances, your doctor may advise using bracing for the foot and ankle to reduce the symptoms of a high arch.

Night splints

This technique assists in stretching calf muscles and arches as your child sleeps. If your child suffers from plantar fasciitis due to high arches, this is extremely useful.

Icing

Icing your child’s feet might help ease pain and inflammation. Every two to three hours, try ice to the arches of your child’s feet for about twenty minutes.

Pain relievers

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), which are available over the counter, can reduce pain and swelling.

Surgery

The purpose of surgery is to enhance your child’s foot’s functionality, lessen pain, and lower the likelihood of additional problems that are typical in cavus feet, like ankle sprains. There are several surgical techniques available to treat cavus feet. The surgeon for your kid will go through the best alternatives for treating your child’s specific condition. Surgeons can fix a bone malformation, a muscle imbalance, or an ankle looseness to help the foot bear weight more evenly. The surgeons can perform minimally invasive methods, which result in smaller scars and quicker healing times. Surgeons use various surgical techniques to treat cavus feet, including:

• Relocating the bone connecting to the big toe and moving the heel bone back beneath the foot
• Shifting the muscles that are causing your child’s feet to turn outward
• Soft tissue release
• Tendon transfer

Soft-tissue surgery

An over-pull of one of the lateral ankle muscles contributes to the cavus foot. On the outside of the ankle, this tendon may be released. This tendon can also be transferred to assist rectify the deformities of the ankle joint. Patients frequently complain of calf muscle discomfort. This might worsen the malformation or make a repair ineffective. It is treated by extending the Achilles tendon or a portion of the calf muscle. Also, this is frequently conducted by making one or more little cuts in the ankle or leg’s back. Finally, the plantar fascia might be tight. The plantar fascia is a cord-like formation on the end of your child’s foot that runs from the heel to the front part of the foot. A surgeon can perform a partial or complete release of the plantar fascia.

Joint fusion

Patients may have deformities that have harmed their joints. In certain circumstances, soft tissue operations or bone incisions would not be sufficient, and it could be essential to stop the joint from moving altogether.

Dorsiflexion osteotomy of the first metatarsal

This technique flattens out the arch.

Tendon transfers

The deformity associated with a cavus foot is frequently caused by excessive pulling on a few muscles and tendons. It could be possible to improve the function of the foot by moving one of these muscles or tendons. Additionally, people with cavus feet may have a weakness when lifting their feet, a condition known as a foot drop. With these circumstances, a tendon from the rear of the ankle may be transferred to the top of the foot to aid in strengthening.

After Cavus Foot Surgery

Depending on how high your child’s arch is and whether it’s the consequence of an underlying ailment, it might lead to a variety of issues. Most of these problems are related to how high arches affect gait and standing. Recovery from cavus foot surgery might take eight to twelve weeks. After the treatment, your child must refrain from placing any weight on his or her feet for at least six weeks. Ask your doctor how long it will take for your child to recuperate because recovery durations might differ greatly between people. Following cavus foot surgery, there might be problems, just as with other surgical operations. These dangers consist of:

• Allergy to the anesthesia.
• Heavy bleeding.
• Infection.
• Blood clots.
• Nerve damage.
• Blood vessel damage.
• Persistent pain after surgery

The Very Best of Care

Finally, orthopedic doctors at Medical City Children’s Orthopedics and Spine Specialists treat flat feet, high arches, and other foot problems using the most contemporary surgical and non-surgical technologies. Depending on how severe the foot deformity is, we can recommend a combination of conservative and surgical procedures in our treatment programs. Only children are treated at Medical City Children’s Orthopedics and Spine Specialists, and we have offices in Arlington, Dallas, Flower Mound, Frisco, and McKinney, TX.  Whenever feasible, we recommend and provide conservative treatments for foot problems that might provide comfort if the problem persists. Fortunately, our orthopedic doctors have a great deal of expertise with high-arch reconstructive surgery. Unfortunately, there may be several operations necessary, depending on the seriousness of your child’s problem.

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Footnote:

Foot Health Facts: Cavus Foot