Controversies in surgical reconstruction of acquired adult flat foot deformity.

There is a wide variety of approaches to the surgical treatment of acquired adult flat foot deformity. There are controversies in several areas, including disagreement over the cause of the condition, the structures that are involved, and what is the most appropriate surgical procedure or combination of procedures to successfully treat this condition. Trends in the orthopedic foot and ankle community include an attempt to preserve the hindfoot joints to allow for more normal biomechanics, the correction of bony deformities so that soft tissues are not overloaded, and an attempt to address the underlying cause so that the propensity for the deformity to recur is lessened.