The Pediatric Foot

The child’s foot is not just a smaller version of an adult foot. It differs in terms of structure and function and in biomechanical properties such as the elastic modulus of its bone, ligaments, and tendons. The foot is vital to activities of everyday living; therefore, any compromise in foot function is likely to adversely affect the overall quality of life. Ensuring adequate function of the foot is especially important in children as normal growth and development of the foot are dependent on experiencing appropriate loading and muscle forces. There are many different pathologies that can interfere with the normal development of children’s feet and these range from the idiopathic, such as flexible flat feet, to those associated with other conditions such as cerebral palsy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. To fully understand the anatomical abnormalities, and subsequent effects on function, appropriate biomechanical assessments are required. These need to be tailored to pediatric feet. For example, their smaller foot size limits and sometimes precludes certain investigations. Currently, there is a lack of research documenting the long-term effects of interventions to accommodate or correct foot deformities through the use of orthoses or surgery. Research that provides this evidence would be valuable in improving our understanding of the effect of specific interventions, and how the pediatric foot responds to variations in intrinsic and extrinsic forces applied to it over time. This chapter explores the biomechanics of the pediatric foot in relation to common foot pathologies.