ReviewInternational orthopaedics2023
Flatfoot over the centuries: the background of current conservative and operative treatments.
Review in International orthopaedics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Representation of Foot and Leg Healing in Art: A Historical Iconographic Perspective from the Sixth Century Onward.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- A historical journey through developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH): from prehistoric evidence to the rise of modern diagnostic and therapeutic concepts.International orthopaedics · 2026Review
- Osteotomies in Flatfoot Surgery: A Narrative Review and Practical Framework.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Dance as a double-edged sword: physiological adaptations, injury risks and therapeutic potential.RMD open · 2026Review
- Long-Term Outcomes of Calcaneocuboid Preservation Following Medial Double Arthrodesis for Rigid Flatfoot: A Minimum 10-Year Evaluation.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Grice Arthrodesis and Arthroereisis in the Surgical Management of Pediatric Flatfoot: Radiological Outcomes and Limitations.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Risk Factors of Subtalar Arthroereisis for Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity: A Retrospective Analysis of 236 Cases.Orthopaedic surgery · 2025Article
- Pedobarography and ankle-foot kinematics in children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot after medialising calcaneal osteotomy and controls: a comparative study.International orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Comparing the efficacy of exercise therapy on adult flexible flatfoot individuals through a network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- K-Wire Osteosynthesis for Arthrodesis of the Paediatric Foot Is a Good and Valid Procedure.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Morphological and evolutionary insights into the keystone element of the human foot's medial longitudinal arch.Communications biology · 2023Article
- Pediatric Flatfoot: Is There a Need for Surgical Referral?Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeAlthough flatfoot is a widespread human condition, historical medical texts and ancient illustrations on this deformity are extremely rare. Nowadays, doubts regarding its management remain unsolved. This historical review aims to identify the presence of pes planus since the prehistoric era and examine the treatments proposed over the centuries up to the present.
methodFor this propose, we performed an extensive electronic search of the relevant literature, complemented by a manual search of additional sources from archaeological to artistic, literary, historical, and scientific accounts, describing flatfoot and its treatment in different eras.
resultsFlatfoot accompanied the evolutionary timeline of human species: from Lucy Australopithecus to Homo Sapiens. It was described among various diseases suffered by Tutankhamun (1343-1324 B.C.), while the first anatomical description dates to Emperor Trajan (53-117 A.D.) and the medical studies of Galen (129-201 A.D.). It was also represented in the anatomical drawings of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Girolamo Fabrici d'Acquapendente (1533-1619). Historically, the conservative treatment by insoles was the only one proposed until the nineteenth century. Since then, the most popular surgical procedures performed for correction have been osteotomies, arthrodesis, arthrorisis, and tendon lengthening and transfer.
conclusionDuring the centuries, conservative therapeutic strategies have not radically changed in their substance, while operative ones have become the protagonists during the twentieth century up to the present. Nevertheless, after more than 2000 years of history, there is no consensus regarding the best indication for the flatfoot and if it really needs to be treated.
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