A treatise on orthopedic surgery . xtreme cases areuncommon. They are often the direct result of injury, so-calledchronic sprain. Less extreme examples of this class are verycommon. The foot is simply turned to one side (valgus) and thearch appears to be depressed because of the attitude, whereas itmay be in reality exaggerated in depth. DISABILITIES AND DEFORMITIES OF THE FOOT. 723 2. Pes Planus,—As has been stated already, and as is well-known, there is a type of painless flat-foot sometimes called pesplanus, in which the flatness of the foot is more noticeable thanthe other components of th
A treatise on orthopedic surgery . xtreme cases areuncommon. They are often the direct result of injury, so-calledchronic sprain. Less extreme examples of this class are verycommon. The foot is simply turned to one side (valgus) and thearch appears to be depressed because of the attitude, whereas itmay be in reality exaggerated in depth. DISABILITIES AND DEFORMITIES OF THE FOOT. 723 2. Pes Planus,—As has been stated already, and as is well-known, there is a type of painless flat-foot sometimes called pesplanus, in which the flatness of the foot is more noticeable thanthe other components of the deformity that have been is probably the result of inherited laxity of ligaments or ofrhachitis or other form of acquired weakness in early life, sothat a normal arch was never present. Such a foot controlled bynormal muscles may be strong and efficient, but it is, neverthe-less, deformed, and it is doubtful if its possessor ever could at-tain the grace and elasticity of gait possible under normal con- FiG. Weak feet and slight knock-knee. ditions. It is said, also, that a low arch is normal in certainraces, for example, the negro, but the American negro is cer-tainly not exempt from the pain and disability incidental tothe broken-down foot. It is evident, of course, that the breaking down of a properlyshaped foot, supported by normal ligaments, will be attendedby greater pain and greater disability than of one in which thearch was originally low and of which the ligaments were weak,,because it is during the progression of the deformity and par-ticularly in its early stages that such symptoms are most promi- 724 OBTROPEDIC SUBGEBY. , nent. When the bones of the arch rest npon the ground or whenfinal stability has become assured, pain may cease, and perma-nent accommodation to the new conditions may increase theability of the deformed member. Such an outcome might bequickly accomplished in the foot originally flat, while in theother instance the symptoms
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