The management of complications following the treatment of flatfoot deformity

Adult acquired flatfoot deformity encompasses a wide spectrum of clinical conditions. Current management approaches have emerged from a growing understanding of its manifestations, which have been learned from decades of clinical trial and error. Although surgical trends continue to evolve, many basic principles and practices have endured. Adult flatfoot deformity can arise from multiple causes, the most common of which remains posterior tibial tendon rupture with subsequent elongation of secondary supportive structures. Regardless of the cause, the fundamental goals of surgical management include correcting peritalar subluxation, restoring hindfoot-midfoot-forefoot relationships and muscle balance, attaining a plantigrade foot, and preserving motion when possible. Surgical correction may be associated with a variety of potential problems, including errors in decision making, undertreatment, overcorrection, and technical mistakes. These complications can lead to adjacent joint arthritis, recurrent deformity, rigidity, nonunion, and persistent pain.