Lateral column lengthening.

The guiding principle behind the lateral column lengthening is to bring the forefoot and midfoot out of abduction while using the foot's natural bony architecture to drive the hindfoot into inversion and dorsiflexion. This correction effectively negates the loss of normal biomechanics created by the loss of the dynamic function of the posterior tibial tendon. The purpose of this article is to review the lateral column lengthening procedure through a detailed explanation of the operation, the postoperative care, and the pitfalls and complications of the procedure.