[Natural course of juvenile foot deformities]

The spectrum of normal variations of children's feet is extremely broad and often difficult to separate from pathological conditions. Especially the flexible flatfoot and the pes adductus normally disappear during growth, and even if they do persist up to adult life, they hardly have any pathological significance. It therefore appears proper to see foot deformities of children from the prognosis point of view, that is, to differentiate between a benign, pain-free course of development with no functional restriction even under load, and pathological deformities which systematically require conservative or surgical therapy. However, definite pathological conditions like pes equinovarus, talus verticalis, or foot deformities due to development of defects, without therapy lead in most cases to well-known deformations and often to painful functional disorders. Early detection and treatment can contribute to a favorable prognosis in many cases.