Cavovarus Talipes Cavus Treatment

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Overview
Pes cavus is an abnormally high arched foot. People with this condition place too much weight and stress on the ball and heel of the foot when standing or walking. Pes cavus can be caused by an underlying disease, injury, or an inherited foot problem. Pes cavus has a tendency to run in families. If you have a family member with very high arches, then you may be at increased risk for developing pes cavus.

Causes
In many people, we How do you prevent Achilles tendonitis? not know the cause of their cavus foot. These people tend to have milder deformities and the foot appearance sometimes runs in the family. Many medical conditions which cause weakness or lack of co-ordination of muscles can result in a cavus foot. Examples of such conditions include spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and conditions in which the small nerves in the legs do not work properly. It is thought that even when no definite medical condition can be found, cavus feet are probably due to very slight weakness of muscles in the legs and feet.

Symptoms
In addition to a visibly high arch in the foot, symptoms include, Calluses on the ball, heel or side of the foot, Bent toes (hammertoes) or claw toes (toes clenched like a fist), Pain when standing or walking, Frequent ankle sprains.

Diagnosis
General examination may reveal features of neurological conditions such as ?champagne bottle legs? (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), scoliosis in Friedreich ataxia, or a naevus, dimple or patch of hair over the spine in spina bifida occulta. The neurological examination should include a search for signs of peripheral nervous disease, such as muscle wasting, weakness and sensory deficit, and signs of central nervous disease, such as pyramidal signs, cerebellar signs or cranial nerve abnormalities. Accurate serial recording of power in individual muscle groups will allow the clinician to follow the disease over time and detect neurological progression.

Non Surgical Treatment
Careful investigation is needed to rule out any neurological condition that is causing the high arched foot. This will depend on what is causing the pain, if anything. For instance, flexible high arches may not need any treatment. Wear shoes with a good cushioning, depth and arch support. Control body weight to decrease load on the feet. Over-the-counter arch supports may be helpful for mild cases of pes cavus, but they are often a poor fit for persons with severe pes cavus.

Surgical Treatment
There are numerous surgical approaches aimed at correcting the deformity and rebalancing the foot. Surgical procedures fall into three main groups. Soft-tissue procedures (e.g. plantar fascia release, Achilles tendon lengthening, tendon transfer), Osteotomy (e.g. metatarsal, midfoot or calcaneal), Bone stabilising procedures (e.g. triple arthrodesis).There are numerous surgical approaches aimed at correcting the deformity and rebalancing the foot. Surgical procedures fall into three main groups.
Soft-tissue procedures
Plantar fascia release, achilles tendon lengthening, tendon transfer.
Osteotomy
Metatarsal, midfoot or calcaneal
Bone stabilising procedures
Triple arthrodesis.