Brandon, should you have a correctly diagnosed forefoot varus you should benefit from the issue of an orthotic device. This would be dependant on whether your forefoot compensates by pronation or 1st ray plantarflexion. Ultimately you would find some benefit in a 2nd - 5th metatarsal bar leaving the 1st metarsarsal free to plantarflex.
Orthotic management of intrinsic (structural) foot deformities
These structural variations result in predictable compensations. The compensations may lead to pain and dysfunction. In each case, an orthosis can support the deformity and eliminate the need for compensation (Tiberio, 1988).
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Prevalence of structural foot deformities:
Rodgers (1995, p.307) reports on research by Garbalosa and colleagues (1994), who investigated 234 asymptomatic feet and found the following forefoot-rearfoot relationships:
Aligned: 4.6 percent
Forefoot varus: 86.7 percent
Forefoot valgus: 8.8 percent
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References:
Garbalosa, J.C., McClure, M.H., Catlin, P.A., & Wooden, M. (1994). The frontal plane relationship of the forefoot to the rearfoot in an asymptomatic population. Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 20, 200-206.
Rodgers, M.M. (1995). Dynamic foot biomechanics. Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 21, 306-316.
Tiberio, D. (1988). Pathomechanics of structural foot deformities. Physical Therapy, 68, 1840-9.
Tiberio, D., Bohannon, R.W., & Zito, M.A. (1989). Effect of subtalar joint position on the measurement of maximum ankle dorsiflexion. Clinical Biomechanics, 4, 189-191.
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Last updated 5-15-01 Dave Thompson PT
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