Original Articles EFFECTIVENESS OF FOOT ORTHOSIS IN FLAT FEET CHILDREN OF AGE 6-15 YEARS; A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Abstract

Flat foot (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity but a relatively common and usually painless condition. This is categorized as a childhood developmental issue when arches fail to develop owing to multiple reasons resulting in the problem in both ankle and legs. The study aimed to Determine the effectiveness of Foot orthosis in relation to foot flat. And to study the time duration for the correctness of flat foot through soft foot orthosis in children.

Material and Methods:
This Quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences (PIPOS) rehabilitation program, Peshawar, Pakistan. The study was conducted over a period of 6 months (July 2018 - December 2018). A stratified random sampling technique was adopted for the study and 10 flat feet patients aged 6-15 years were inducted. Data were collected in two steps i.e. (Pretest and post-test data). Data was analyzed using SPSS Version-22.

Results:
The mean age of study participants was 10.5± 2.8 years. Post-test measurement for 3 (30%) patients was less than 1cm, while that of 7 (70%) patients scored 1cm or above. Participants (40%) with pretest measurements more than 5mm have shown significant improvement in achieving the target value except one, while correction of flat feet was slow in participants with measurements less than 5mm.

Conclusion:
The study suggests that soft foot orthosis has a good effect on children with flat feet. Early treatment for children with flat feet is too much necessary.