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Change in flatfoot of preschool-aged children: a 1-year follow-up study

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Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in the signs of flatfoot of preschool-aged children in a 1-year follow-up study. This study performed follow-up on a total of 580 preschool-aged children (boys, 297 children; girls, 283 children) with a median age of 54 (range 36–71 months), and the average follow-up period was 11.8 months. This study used the Chippaux–Smirak index (CSI) of footprint as the assessment tool, and CSI > 62.70 % was used as the standard for determining whether preschool-aged children suffered from flatfoot. The results showed that the signs of flatfoot of preschool-aged children improved with increasing age. At the 1-year follow-up, the average CSI was 5.1 % lower, and the proportion of children with flatfoot was 14 % lower. The follow-up on the change in the signs of flatfoot showed that 37.6 % of the children originally with flatfoot had improved to normal, verifying that flatfoot indeed improves with increasing age. However, the results also showed that 9.9 % of the children who originally had normal feet had developed flatfoot with increasing age, which deserves subsequent investigation. The results of the follow-up also showed that children who were relatively younger, male, obese, and experiencing excessive joint laxity were more likely to experience the signs of flatfoot. Conclusion: The 1-year follow-up found that some preschool-aged children with flatfoot may develop normal feet, while children with normal feet may begin to experience the signs. Relevant factors affecting flatfoot in preschool-aged children continue to require further clarification.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all participants in this study and the physical therapists, Pei-Shan Tsai and Yi-Ying Tsai, who kindly provided assistance with data collection. This study was supported by research grants from the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC99-2314-B-040-004-MY3).

Conflict of interest

No party having a direct interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on us or on any organization with which we are associated. All authors state that they do not keep any commercial, financial, or personal relationships that may lead to a conflict of interest that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work.

Ethical Board Review statement

Each author certifies that his institution approved the human protocol for this investigation that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent for participation in the study was obtained (CSMUH No.: CS09114).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Therapy Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, No.110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung City, 402, Taiwan

    Kun-Chung Chen, Jing-Fu Kuo & Chun-Hou Wang

  2. School of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Technology, Chung Shan Medical University, No.110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung City, 402, Taiwan

    Kun-Chung Chen & Chun-Hou Wang

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chi Mei Medical Center, Liou Ying Campus, No.201, Taikang Village, Liou Ying Township, Tainan, 736, Taiwan

    Li-Chen Tung

  4. School of Public Health, Chung Shan Medical University, No.110, Sec. 1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung City, 402, Taiwan

    Chih-Jung Yeh

  5. Department of Physical Therapy, Medical College, National Cheng Kung University, No.1, Ta-Hsueh Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan

    Jeng-Feng Yang

Authors
  1. Kun-Chung Chen
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  2. Li-Chen Tung
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  3. Chih-Jung Yeh
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  4. Jeng-Feng Yang
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  5. Jing-Fu Kuo
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  6. Chun-Hou Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chun-Hou Wang.

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Chen, KC., Tung, LC., Yeh, CJ. et al. Change in flatfoot of preschool-aged children: a 1-year follow-up study. Eur J Pediatr 172, 255–260 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1884-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-012-1884-4

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