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Ms. H.C (62 years old, HCMC), came to The FV Hospital Bone & Joint Centre Department with pain in legs and trouble in walking. She reported that she had been suffering from pain in her left foot and ankle for many years. Recientlly, the frequency and intensity of pain has become worse and has led to her having difficulties in walking and having to give up her hobby of playing tennis. After undergoing examination and diagnosis with imaging technique by Dr Le Trong Phat – Head of The FV Hospital Bone & Joint Centre Department, she was diagnosed with flat feet. In consideration of the optimal treatment method, Dr. Phat recomended to perform minor surgery to adjust the foot axis named HyProCure implant, a small titanium tube is inserted into the tarsi sinus to get the flat feet corrected by holding the sinus tarsi in a stable open position. This implant helps keep the patient’s ankle bone from sliding forward or beyond the heel bone and back arched foot. The procedure only took about 15 minutes and the patient was hospitalised for only 2 days for follow-up.
After 2 weeks of treatment and follow-up, Ms. H.C said, “My feet are now much better, no longer painful and no longer suffering from limping. Hopefully after a while I can come back to my favourite tennis court. I used to visit many prestigious hospitals and was asked to have joints replaced but I still wondered. Thanks to the reccomendations of one of my friends that Dr. Le Trong Phat is working at FV Hospital, I decided to have an appointment with him to see whether there is any better solution for my feet or not. Surely not disappointed, now my legs are much better without the need for a joint replacement, I truly express my gratitude to Dr. Phat and other staff of FV Hospital for their excellent service in all stages, from examination, surgery to post-operation”.
The patient reported, she had been suffering from pain in her left foot and ankle for many years, recently the frequency and intensity of pain had become worse.
Flatfoot Deformity:
Normal feet have the soles of the foot recessed to form an arch. This is to support the force and balance to walk gently as well as reduce the reaction from the ground bouncing when the foot moves. Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground. When walking people with flat feet tend to have the inner edge of the foot (arch) contacting with the ground, causing the foot to be deformed over time. When running and jumping, people with flat feet are prone to fall because the feet are not flexible enough, when the feet are in touch with the ground, the heels might simultaneously be crooked out, affecting the ankles, impacting badly on the running and jumping ability. In addition, flat feet cause the bones in the lower legs to rotate when walking, running and jumping, causing the knee joints to rotate and deflect, leading to pain, inflammation or even early knee degeneration.
The feet of infant child are born without arches and at the age of 2 to 3 begin the human arch development. From 3 years and older, arches increasingly shape more clearly. If after 5 years of age the parents still find their children feet flat and have difficulty to walk, run and jump, it is advised that they take their children to see the doctor or if they detect symptoms such as:
- The sole of the childs feet are not arched as normal
- The child seems to be in pain from walking and running.
- When moving, parents can see the childs legs showing signs of deformation and leaning inward
- The child complains about calf muscle pains, arch pain, or any other pains around the foot area.
Flat feet is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground
The child seems to be in pain from walking and running
According to Dr Le Trong Phat, Head of The FV Hospital Bone & Joint Centre Department, flat feet without early intervention can lead to tendonitis in the ankles, ankylosing fasciitis and heel spikes. The dislocation of the body can also have a long-lasting effect on the knee, hip, back and neck joints. Currently, the procedure to place titanium implants for flat feet treatment in Vietnam is only available at the FV Hospital.
The FV Hospital Bone & Joint Centre Department is a fully equiped healthcare facility with a proven track record for all types of orthopaedic conditions. Orthopaedics is the medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body’s musculoskeletal system, which is composed of bones, muscles, joints and ligaments. Aging, trauma, poor posture or high-impact sports can all cause injuries to these areas of the body.
FV Hospital provides a multi-disciplinary team of consultant orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthesiologists, pain specialists, nurses and occupational therapists to help patients return to an active and pain-free lifestyle. With our focus on expertise, speed, technology and patient-centric care, we are with our patients every step of the way on their road to recovery.
