Pediatric flatfoot: etiopathogenesis and diagnostics

Longitudinal flatfoot is heterogeneous group of conditions, characterized by a decrease of longitudinal arch height. In mobile flatfoot, this decrease is dynamic, it occurs under vertical load and proceeds asymptomatically. Specialists should pay attention to the "pathological" flatfoot developing with pain syndrome or causing severe gait disturbance. The review analyzes the fundamental and current opinions of local and foreign researchers on the development of flatfoot in children. Literatural data of age dynamics of foot development, epidemiology of flatfoot in childhood, the influence of flatfoot on the foot and gait biomechanics and basic diagnostic methods are presented.