The Collapsing Foot: It's All about the Ligaments!

Abstract

There are many surgical techniques described for the deltoid ligament and spring ligament reconstruction in the treatment of a collapsing flatfoot. In some cases, addressing these ligaments may offer a way to treat a collapsing flatfoot that preserves the talonavicular and subtalar joints. Preservation of these joints may lead to better outcomes for patients, as their functionality is not limited by hindfoot fusions. Preliminary evidence suggests that patients, when properly selected for, show good long-term outcomes after undergoing surgical reconstruction of those ligaments. The technique for spring ligament and deltoid ligament reconstruction in cases of collapsing flatfoot deformity is described in this article.Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level V-Expert Opinion. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.