Clinical and radiographic evaluation of the cavus foot: surgical implications.

The key to successful management of the cavovarus foot is identifying the pathoanatomy and dysfunction that are driving the deformity and producing the symptoms. There is no substitute for a thorough clinical evaluation of the foot, evaluating the static alignment and dynamic function. Plain films alone are not sufficient to determine the diagnosis, but they are necessary for procedure selection and correction planning. This is especially true for assessing the degree of hindfoot varus. Some issues are difficult to diagnose, and imaging plays an important role.