High Arch Foot (Pes Cavus)

What is a Cavus foot type or high arch?

A high arched foot is when someone has an abnormally high arch of their foot which can lead to abnormal foot biomechanics that cause a variety of different foot and ankle pain. 

What causes a person to have high arches?

Genetics is the most common cause of having high arches, but can it also be caused by neurological disorders such as charcot-marie-tooth, spina bifida, polio, muscle dystrophy, stroke. In neuromuscular disorders there is weakness of the tibialis anterior and peroneus brevis, which become overpowered by the peroneus longus and tibialis posterior. 

What are the characteristics of a high arched foot?

Clinical characteristics of a high arched foot is a plantar flexed 1st ray, hindfoot varus, recurrent ankle sprains, lateral ankle pain, 5th metatarsal stress fractures, sub 1st and 5th met head calluses. A coleman block test is done to test the flexibility of hindfoot varus. 

How to conservatively treat high arched feet?

custom orthotics, supportive shoes, ankle foot orthosis. 

How to surgically treat high arches?

There is no one surgical way to treat all high arched feet and the surgical procedures have have to be chosen on a per patient basis. Some of the most common procedures are steindler stripping, p longus to p brevis transfer, PT tendon transfer, 1st met DFWO, lateral ankle ligament reconstruction, dwyer, midfoot dorsfilexion osteotomies/wedges, triple arthrodesis,