Longitudinal flat - one of the most common types of flatfoot; It occurs in approximately 20% of patients with this disorder. Longitudinal flat with about equal frequency occurs in different age groups.

Normally, the width of the middle part of the foot print should be between a quarter and a third of the width of the forefoot - sock. When longitudinal flat first-degree width of the midfoot is approximately half the width of the nose. In the final, fourth stage of the midfoot may be wider front. With this degree of longitudinal flat foot can come into contact with their entire surface area.

Symptoms

Typically, patients do not notice any symptoms first stage longitudinal flat. In the second stage from time to time may occur pain in the legs Pain in the legs - from which they arise? ; Sometimes patients complain of excessive fatigue after long walks. In the third and fourth stages of almost all patients experience severe discomfort, but there are exceptions. A significant part of the athletes involved in sports and walking in this area have achieved more or less significant progress, there is a longitudinal flat third or fourth degree, but few of them complain of pain when walking.

Causes

Reasons longitudinal flat could be a variety of injuries and diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis Arthritis - a variety of forms and complications , Stroke, or diabetes. Its development has also been associated with birth weight and characteristics of the organism of the human body. Sometimes flat occurs in pregnant women - it is not associated with weight gain and hormonal changes that contribute to the relaxation of connective tissue.

In most cases, a longitudinal flat feet do not cause severe discomfort, and does not require treatment. Flat feet in children may be corrected with the help of special exercises. Adult patients with flatfoot longitudinal usually recommended to wear orthopedic shoes Orthopedic shoes - how to determine what is right for you?   or use special insoles that support the arch of the foot and ease the discomfort when walking. To correct the flatfoot is very useful to walk barefoot, especially on the pebble beach - it perfectly develops the muscles of the foot.

In very rare cases, a longitudinal flat feet treated by surgery.

Diagnostics

Longitudinal flat - a flattening of the longitudinal arch of the foot, there is the weakness of the foot and leg muscles with increasing body weight, the upright, decreasing muscle strength during physiological aging, lack of muscle training in patients sedentary profession, injuries and so on. Internal factors contributing to the development of a longitudinal flat feet, is the constitutional and hereditary predisposition.

At external examination can detect the presence of flat feet in the advanced degree. For a more accurate determination of the plane of the foot, there are several methods:

• Podometry method is that the measured height of the foot, which is the distance from the floor to place on the finger in front of the ankle (a); then measure the length of the foot (B - the distance from the tip of the I toe to the back surface of the heel); by simple calculations (a × 100 / b) receive podometric index, the value of which indicates the presence or absence of flatfoot (norm 31-29);
• plantography method - getting footprints; It is applied to the sole coloring material, and then turns on the print paper;
• X-ray studies that confirm and clarify the data obtained in other studies.

As shown

For longitudinal flat characterized by certain painful areas:

• in the center of the arch and inside the heel on the sole;
• at the center rear of the foot;
• under the ankles;
• in the calf muscles;
• in the knee and hip joints due to violations of biomechanics;
• hip due to overexertion of muscles;
• in the lumbar region due to the enhanced compensatory lordosis (curvature of the spine anteriorly).

Increased pain is noted after prolonged load (standing, walking), but after resting pain usually held. Often swollen feet, including in the area of ​​the outer ankle.

To express the longitudinal flat typical of the following signs: stop extended and expanded in the middle of the longitudinal arch is lowered, the foot turned outwards, clumsy gait, socks much separated the sides, sometimes limited range of motion in all joints of the feet.

Treatment of cross flatfoot

Treatment of cross flatfoot is wearing orthopedic shoes or special supplementary devices. When the initial shape of the cross flatfoot use removable insoles made factory method. In advanced cases, a manufacturer of shoes or insoles on special casts of the patient's legs.

In severe forms of flat feet, causing persistent severe pain, operations are carried out: on the muscles (the redistribution of stress on the arch by transplanting the attachment points of the lower leg muscles) and bones.

Prevention

Preventing cross flatfoot Cross-flat - a disease of obese women   It is to form the correct gait - are not spreading in the direction of socks. People who are forced to be in a long-standing position, the feet should be kept strictly parallel to each other and to relieve tension intermittently for a few seconds on the outer edges of the feet. Good effect have a warm foot bath and foot massage. Of great importance is physiotherapy, outdoor games, cycling, walking barefoot, and so on.

Pick up shoes must be very meticulously that it is not squeezed toes, especially the big toe. Therefore socks purchased shoes should be wide, spacious life, and she shoes fit the foot. The heel should be low and stable.

Transverse flatfoot often occur not hard, but it certainly needs to be corrected, otherwise the problem will become very large.

  Galina Romanenko

  Cross flat usually occurs after 35 years, with great importance weight: obese people, it is more common than in lean, and women - more than men. In some cases flat transverse combined with other modifications of the foot, for example, with a longitudinal flatfoot Longitudinal flat - if it hurts to stand Which generally appears earlier at a young age.

How does our stop

The foot is divided into tarsus (it includes seven bones that form the basis of the foot is connected to the shin bone), metatarsus (formed by five tubular bones I to V) and the fingers, the bones of which are attached to the metatarsals. Bones are interconnected joints.

Tarsal and metatarsal bones are connected to each other and using the muscles and ligaments in a series of codes that have resilient properties. It arches give the elasticity of the human gait. A total of six sets of foot: five longitudinal (from each metatarsal bone, extending to the heel) and one cross that binds them together.

The muscles, ligaments and fascia (thin connective tissue membrane covering the muscle) strengthen the foot. For cross flatfoot it is of particular importance plantar aponeurosis (tendon of the muscle in the form of broad shiny plate), which extends from the calcaneal tuber to the forefoot, separated into beams respectively fingers.

What is a flat cross and its causes

It called transverse flatfoot that develops while reducing the transverse arch of the foot. This type of flatfoot rarely alone, most of it with age attached to the longitudinal flat feet, which occurs at an earlier age. The cross is also called flat cross-flattened foot with deviation of the I toe outward.

Transverse flatfoot often associated with work (long stay on his feet), overweight (including this type of flatfoot often develops during pregnancy), decreased muscle strength and elasticity with aging or prolonged sedentary lifestyle, etc. The origin of the cross is of great importance flatfoot condition plantar fascia, that failure of the tendon and causes cross-flat.

As shown

Cross flat manifested in the redistribution of body weight load on different parts of the foot: walking a healthy person the greatest burden falls on the I metatarsal bone (right to the thumb), transverse flatfoot this load deviates outward and falls on the head of the middle metatarsals. Because of this load transfer metatarsal I turned and lifted up, and the big toes deviate laterally. Middle finger, on which the main burden falls acquire a hammer form.

A significant deviation of the big toe is observed in long flowing transverse flat. This condition is accompanied by pain, which occur in the region I at the metatarsal pressure (for example in tight shoes). At the head of this bone (below the big toe) may be signs of inflammation (bursitis), which appears redness and swelling in the area. Over time in this place there is overgrowth of cartilage ("bone").

Since the forefoot gets a significant load, the skin on the soles thicker, and shows the calluses and corns.

Causes

Transverse flatfoot in adults can have many causes; the most common ones:

• Congenital anomalies;
• Stretching or tearing of tendons;
• Fracture or dislocation of bones;
• Some diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis Arthritis - a variety of forms and complications ;
• Disorders that affect the nerves.
• Factors that increase the risk of cross flatfoot:
• Obesity;
• Diabetes;
• Aging;
• Pregnancy.

Symptoms

Cross-flat - a very common disorder, but many people do not notice its symptoms and do not need treatment. However, in some cases, signs of cross flatfoot Flatfoot - help physiotherapy   can be:

• Fatigue feet;
• Pain in the feet, especially in the arch of the foot and the heel;
• Swelling of the lower part of the foot;
• Difficulties in some of the foot, such as the inability to get up on his toes;
• Pain in the back and legs.

If you notice at any of these symptoms, do not delay your visit to the doctor.

Test yourself on the flat

You can spend a very simple test that you have a flat foot cross. For this:

• Wet feet.
• Stand on a flat surface, which will be clearly visible traces of wet feet.
• Move aside and look at his tracks. If the central part of the foot is almost completely or almost completely imprinted on the surface it is likely to have cross-flat. Normally should remain mark only the outside of the foot.

Transverse flatfoot observed many children - when a child is, his feet look very flat. Bend arch becomes noticeable only when the child stands on tiptoe. In most cases, when a child grows up, it becomes a normal arch.