Flexible Flatfeet Flatfeet are a great concern of many parents and because of its common occurrence, is a frequent question asked of pediatricians. Parental concern is often related to its cosmetic appearance.
Most orthopedic surgeons consider it to be a normal variant.
Flatfeet is defined as a lower or absent longitudinal arch when the individual is in the weight bearing position. It is associated with medial soft tissue bulging of various degrees. It is normal in infants and young children and the incidence decreases with age. The younger child has laxis of the bone-ligament complex and this improves with age. In older children and adults, it may be associated with generalized ligamentous laxity, a generalized condition, that may be found in other family members.