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Revista Do Colegio Brasileiro de... Dec 2018Flexible flatfoot is a common condition in small children, which shows a strong tendency to spontaneously correct with their growth or to become moderate or mild in...
Flexible flatfoot is a common condition in small children, which shows a strong tendency to spontaneously correct with their growth or to become moderate or mild in adults, which will not cause future problems. However, in a small number of cases, this condition is more severe, does not improve spontaneously, which may cause mechanical impairment, deformity, and, eventually, pain. In such cases, surgical treatment should be considered. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the literature results on the treatment of the symptomatic flexible flatfoot in children or adolescents through a very frequent procedure: calcaneal lateral column lengthening osteotomy, A systematic electronic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, CINAHL, SciELO, SCOPUS and LILACS databases was performed. We searched articles published between March 1975 and September 2016. After applying the eligibility criteria, the selected publications were evaluated in relation to their clinical and radiographic results and complications. We found 341 articles in the mentioned databases, but selected only eight studies, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. These studies included a total of 105 patients and 167 treated feet. Only three authors performed prospective studies, but without case-control or randomization. The majority of publications were descriptive studies or case series (level of evidence III or IV), with great methodological variations, but with a high satisfaction rate on the part of both patients and surgeons in relation to the results. However, more prospective and randomized studies are required, with adequate control groups and validated evaluation criteria.
Topics: Adolescent; Bone Lengthening; Calcaneus; Child; Flatfoot; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Osteotomy; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 30569951
DOI: 10.1590/0100-6991e-20181969 -
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2018Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is a painful, progressive tendinopathy that reportedly predominates in middle-age, overweight women. There is no evidence... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is a painful, progressive tendinopathy that reportedly predominates in middle-age, overweight women. There is no evidence based guidelines that clinicians can use to guide treatment planning, which leaves clinicians to make decisions on the basis of presenting clinical impairments and self-reported pain and disability. The purpose of this systematic review was to quantify clinical impairments, pain and disability in individuals with PTTD compared with controls.
METHODS
Five databases were searched for terms referring to the posterior tibial tendon and flatfoot up to and including 11 March 2018. The systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD: 42016046951). Studies were eligible if they were published in the English language and contained data on clinical impairments, pain or disability compared between participants diagnosed with PTTD and pain-free individuals. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) were calculated where possible and meta-analysis was performed when homogeneity of outcomes allowed.
RESULTS
Ten eligible studies were identified and pooled in the meta-analyses. Strong effects were revealed for poor heel rise endurance (SMD -1.52, 95% CI -2.05 to - 0.99), less forefoot adduction-inversion strength (SMD -1.19, 95% CI -1.68 to - 0.71) and lower arch height (SMD -1.76, 95% CI -2.29 to - 1.23). Compared to controls, individuals with PTTD also had more self-reported stiffness (SMD 1.45, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.99), difficulties caused by foot problems (SMD 1.42, 95% CI 0.52 to 2.33) and social restrictions (SMD1.26, 95% CI 0.25 to 2.27).
CONCLUSION
There is evidence of impaired tibialis posterior capacity and lowered arch height in individuals with PTTD compared to controls. Further to addressing the expected impairments in local tendon function and foot posture, pain, stiffness, functional limitations and social participation restrictions should be considered when managing PTTD.
Topics: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Disabled Persons; Female; Heel; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Strength; Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction; Postural Balance; Posture; Range of Motion, Articular; Self Report; Social Participation; Walking
PubMed: 30186369
DOI: 10.1186/s13047-018-0292-z -
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2018Flexible flat foot is a normal observation in typically developing children, however, some children with flat feet present with pain and impaired lower limb function.... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Flexible flat foot is a normal observation in typically developing children, however, some children with flat feet present with pain and impaired lower limb function. The challenge for health professionals is to identify when foot posture is outside of expected findings and may warrant intervention. Diagnoses of flexible flat foot is often based on radiographic or clinical measures, yet the validity and reliability of these measures for a paediatric population is not clearly understood. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate how paediatric foot posture is defined and measured within the literature, and if the psychometric properties of these measures support any given diagnoses.
METHODS
Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane, AMED, SportDiscus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science) were systematically searched in January 2017 for empirical studies where participants had diagnosed flexible flat foot and were aged 18 years or younger. Outcomes of interest were the foot posture measures and definitions used. Further articles were sought where cited in relation to the psychometric properties of the measures used.
RESULTS
Of the 1101 unique records identified by the searches, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria involving 20 foot posture measures and 40 definitions of paediatric flexible flat foot. A further 18 citations were sought in relation to the psychometric properties of these measures. Three measures were deemed valid and reliable, the FPI-6 > + 6 for children aged three to 15 years, a Staheli arch index of > 1.07 for children aged three to six and ≥ 1.28 for children six to nine, and a Chippaux-Smirak index of > 62.7% in three to seven year olds, > 59% in six to nine year olds and ≥ 40% for children aged nine to 16 years. No further measures were found to be valid for the paediatric population.
CONCLUSION
No universally accepted criteria for diagnosing paediatric flat foot was found within existing literature, and psychometric data for foot posture measures and definitions used was limited. The outcomes of this review indicate that the FPI - 6, Staheli arch index or Chippaux-Smirak index should be the preferred method of paediatric foot posture measurement in future research.
Topics: Anthropometry; Child; Child Development; Flatfoot; Foot; Humans; Posture; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Research Design
PubMed: 29854006
DOI: 10.1186/s13047-018-0264-3 -
PloS One 2018Flexible pes planus (flat feet) in children is a common presenting condition in clinical practice due to concerns amongst parents and caregivers. While Foot Orthoses... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Flexible pes planus (flat feet) in children is a common presenting condition in clinical practice due to concerns amongst parents and caregivers. While Foot Orthoses (FOs) are a popular intervention, their effectiveness remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to update the current evidence base for the effectiveness of FOs for paediatric flexible pes planus.
METHODS
A systematic search of electronic databases (Cochrane, Medline, AMED, EMBASE, CINHAL, SportDiscus, Scopus and PEDro) was conducted from January 2011 to July 2017. Studies of children (0-18 years) diagnosed with flexible pes planus and intervention to be any type of Foot Orthoses (FOs) were included. This review was conducted and reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. McMaster critical review form for quantitative studies, was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Given the heterogeneity of the included studies, a descriptive synthesis of the included studies was undertaken.
RESULTS
Out of 606 articles identified, 11 studies (three RCTs; two case-controls; five case-series and one single case study) met the inclusion criteria. A diverse range of pre-fabricated and customised FOs were utilised and effectiveness measured through a plethora of outcomes. Summarised findings from the heterogeneous evidence base indicated that FOs may have a positive impact across a range of outcomes including pain, foot posture, gait, function and structural and kinetic measures. Despite these consistent positive outcomes reported in several studies, the current evidence base lacks clarity and uniformity in terms of diagnostic criteria, interventions delivered and outcomes measured for paediatric flexible pes planus.
CONCLUSION
There continues to remain uncertainty on the effectiveness of FOs for paediatric flexible pes planus. Despite a number of methodological limitations, FOs show potential as a treatment method for children with flexible pes planus.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42017057310.
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Flatfoot; Foot Orthoses; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 29451921
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193060 -
PloS One 2017Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) and adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) are used interchangeably, although both suggest quite different pathological... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) and adult acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD) are used interchangeably, although both suggest quite different pathological processes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate key differences in selection criteria used for inclusion into research studies.
METHODS
An electronic database search was performed from inception to June 2016. All primary research articles with clear inclusion/diagnostic criteria for PTTD or AAFD were included in the review. All criteria were extracted and synthesised into one aggregate list. Frequencies of recurring criteria were calculated and reported for each stage of the conditions.
RESULTS
Of the potentially eligible papers, 148 (65%) did not specify inclusion/selection criteria for PTTD or AAFD and were excluded. Eligibility criteria were reported 82 times in the 80 included papers, with 69 descriptions for PTTD and 13 for AAFD. After synthesis of criteria from all papers, there were 18 key signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms were considered to be those relating to tendon pathology and those relating to structural deformity. The total number of individual inclusion/diagnostic criteria ranged from 2 to 9. The majority of articles required signs of both tendon dysfunction and structural deformity (84% for AAFD and 81% for PTTD). Across both groups, the most frequently reported criteria were abduction of the forefoot (11.5% of total criteria used), the presence of a flexible deformity (10.2%) and difficulty performing a single leg heel raise (10.0%). This was largely the case for the PTTD articles, whereas the AAFD articles were more focused on postural issues such as forefoot abduction, medial arch collapse, and hindfoot valgus (each 16.7%).
CONCLUSION
As well as synthesising the available literature and providing reporting recommendations, this review has identified that many papers investigating PTTD/AAFD do not state condition-specific selection criteria and that this limits their clinical applicability. Key signs and symptoms of PTTD and AAFD appear similar, except in early PTTD where no structural deformity is present. We recommend that PTTD is the preferred terminology for the condition associated with signs of local tendon dysfunction with pain and/or swelling along the tendon and difficulty with inversion and/or single leg heel raise characterising stage I and difficulty with single leg heel raise and a flexible flatfoot deformity characterizing stage II PTTD. While AAFD may be useful as an umbrella term for acquired flatfoot deformities, the specific associated aetiology should be reported in studies to aid consolidation and implementation of research into practice.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
Prospero ID: 42016046943.
Topics: Adult; Flatfoot; Humans; Tendons; Tibia
PubMed: 29194449
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187201 -
Journal of Foot and Ankle Research 2017All typically developing children are born with flexible flat feet, progressively developing a medial longitudinal arch during the first decade of their lives. Whilst... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
All typically developing children are born with flexible flat feet, progressively developing a medial longitudinal arch during the first decade of their lives. Whilst the child's foot is expected to be flat, there is currently no consensus as to this foot should be. Furthermore, whilst feet are observed to decrease in flatness with increasing age, it is not known they should be at each age increment. The objective of this systematic review is to define the postural characteristics of the 'typically' developing paediatric foot.
METHODS
The PRISMA protocol was applied to compare all data currently published describing the typical development of the paediatric foot. The Epidemiological Appraisal Instrument (EAI) was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies.
RESULTS
Thirty four epidemiological papers pertaining to the development of the paediatric foot were graphically compared. Sixteen different foot posture assessments were identified of which footprint based measures were the most reported outcome.
CONCLUSION
Firstly, the use of the term in relation to foot posture is misleading in the categorisation of the paediatric foot, as indeed a flat foot posture is a normal finding at specific ages. Secondly, the foot posture of the developing child is indeed age dependent and has been shown to change over time. Thirdly, no firm conclusion could be reached as to which age the foot posture of children ceases to develop further, as no two foot measures are comparable, therefore future research needs to consider the development of consensus recommendations as to the measurement of the paediatric foot, using valid and reliable assessment tools.
Topics: Child; Child Development; Flatfoot; Foot; Humans
PubMed: 28814975
DOI: 10.1186/s13047-017-0218-1 -
Clinical Obesity Apr 2015Children with obesity report musculoskeletal pain more than normal-weight children; this may be linked with literature suggesting children with obesity have higher... (Review)
Review
Children with obesity report musculoskeletal pain more than normal-weight children; this may be linked with literature suggesting children with obesity have higher prevalence of pes planus (flatfoot). To further elucidate whether this relation occurs, we conducted a systematic literature review on the co-occurrence of pes planus and paediatric obesity. Empirical articles published until September 2013 were obtained through an electronic search of MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus; included articles examined the association between body weight and pes planus in children. Thirteen cross-sectional studies of varied designs were identified. Methods used to diagnose pes planus varied between studies: imaging modalities, anthropometric measurements and clinical examination. Across all studies, pes planus prevalence among children with obesity ranged widely from 14 to 67%. Nearly all studies indicated increasing pes planus in children with increasing weight. No studies evaluated pain/complications related to pes planus. Our review suggests increased prevalence of pes planus among children with obesity or increasing weight status. Because of differing methodologies, lack of consensus regarding the pes planus definition, the dearth of investigation into pain/complications and the few existing studies, more research is needed to determine a relation between children's body weight, pes planus and associated effects on pain and function.
Topics: Age Factors; Comorbidity; Flatfoot; Foot; Humans; Pain; Pediatric Obesity; Prevalence
PubMed: 25808780
DOI: 10.1111/cob.12091