Flexible Flatfoot
The arch appears when the child stands on tiptoes or sits. It is usually painless, very common, and most children need observation and supportive footwear rather than surgery.
Understanding Flatfoot
Most children with flat feet are healthy and pain-free — the arch simply develops later. A smaller group has a stiff, painful, or progressive deformity that benefits from expert assessment. Knowing which is which is the first, most reassuring step for any parent.
Medically reviewed byDr. Mutasem Aldhoon— Pediatric Orthopedic Consultant· Last reviewed: August 2026
Rigid Flatfoot
The arch never appears and the hindfoot does not move freely. Stiffness, pain, and rapid shoe wear suggest an underlying structural cause that should be imaged and evaluated.
Tarsal Coalition
An abnormal bridge of bone, cartilage, or fibrous tissue between tarsal bones. It commonly presents in older children as a painful, stiff flatfoot with recurrent ankle sprains.
Achilles Tightness
A tight gastrocnemius-Achilles complex forces the midfoot to collapse with every step. Recognising this contracture changes both the non-surgical and surgical plan.
Neurological Flatfoot
In cerebral palsy and other neuromuscular conditions, muscle imbalance drives progressive planovalgus deformity that requires tailored, durable stabilisation.
When to Seek Care
Pain, limping, stiffness, one foot worse than the other, deformity that worsens with growth, or difficulty keeping up with peers all warrant a specialist opinion.
Dr. Mutasem Aldhoon
Dr. Mutasem Aldhoon is a leading Pediatric Orthopedic Consultant specializing in complex lower extremity deformities. With extensive experience in advanced joint-sparing and reconstructive techniques, he is the trusted authority for severe pediatric flatfoot and neurological foot reconstructions.