The Liber-Archy Flat Foot Procedure™

Having the chance to showcase some of our advanced procedures for America to see on national television is an honor.  With everything we do, kids matter most.  To do our best for our children, we can help prevent pathology by diagnosing problems early, and providing sophisticated solutions that prevent significant foot conditions.

Getting your little ones to the Podiatrist is just as important as having routine dental exams.  Diagnosing foot problems in kids can prevent surgery and treatment in their adult life.  I have always included discussion about the possible manifestation of foot problems in your kids feet and have provided consultation for my patient’s kids for free as part of their own follow-up care.

My thought is that if a doctor cares, he or she will always include in their discussion an invitation to examine the patient’s kids feet in the their upcoming visits.  This is consistent with the philosophy that is we catch things early, we can prevent them.  That is the premise of Aesthetic Foot Surgery, and a good doctor takes that concept and extends it to the next generation.

That is why I am proud to announce The Liber-archy Flat Foot Procedure™.  This procedure takes the most problematic foot structure (flat foot) and corrects it with a simple, out-patient procedure.  The idea behind the procedure is not that unlike what we do when we plant a sapling tree.  A small tree is flimsy and impressionable by the environment.  To prevent a bent or crooked tree, we tie these saplings to a stick, providing structural support until they are strong and rigid enough to stand upright on their own.

Kids feet are similar to little trees.  They too are very impressionable and made mostly of cartilage.  This cartilage eventually ossifies (solidifies) into bone.  The shape the bones in the foot take are therefore influenced by the forces that are exerted on the foot in the childhood ages.  If we were able to somehow control those forces, we could create a situation where the bones “solidified” in a more “normal”, rectus (correct) position… basically, we could mold out the flat foot.

The most common approach is orthotics (commonly called arch supports).  Orthotics are inserts that are custom fit to the feet and control the collapse of the arch.  The problem with orthotics is that they can be very costly, and since kids grow fast, they would need to be replaced twice or three times a year.  Another problem with orthotics is that they only work, if you wear them.  Kids nowadays are so active that losing or misplacing a pair of orthotics is a common and expensive mistake.

In the 70′s the Arthroeresis procedure was pioneered by a Podiatrist for correcting and preventing the problems associated with pediatric flatfoot.  This procedure has evolved over the years and has provided thousands of children a better way to control flat foot development and prevent foot pathology.  Flat feet are linked to bunions, hammertoes, arthritis, knee problems, lower back problems and a whole list of other orthopedics issues.  Preventing the development of flat feet is the single most important thing a Podiatrist can do for your kids.

I often hear from parents that “our Pediatrician said that they will grow out of the problem”.  This is not true.  Children will grow out of their Pediatrician, but they will grow “in-to” the problem.  As children develop, the flat foot condition will advance the Tibial and Femoral Torsion that occurs normally as the process of growth continues adapt to keep the knees pointed forward.  So the pronation is masked and the flat foot becomes a permanent fixture.

I have developed an updated Arthroeresis procedure… I call it the “Liber-archy”.  This procedure liberates the arch and frees it from the unfortunate destiny of becoming a painful flat foot with all of it’s other problems.  The Liber-archy takes into consideration all the risks and not only is performed in the safest, most advanced methods available today, but takes into consideration the finished appearance, and is performed with a minimally invasive, aesthetic approach that is unique to our practice.  This way, your children are not left with scars on their feet and a traumatic experience.

The goal is to place the bones of the foot in the ideal positions so that the forces that are exerted on them mimic a normal foot, and result in the “normal” adult foot.  The results speak for themselves.  You can watch this procedure on the recent episode of The Doctors that aired on May 21st, 2009.

Since the introduction of this procedure, there has been an overwhelming response from around the country.  Many patients have asked about an “adult” version of the procedure.  Of course, the premise of the Liber-Archy Flat Foot Procedure is to prevent future damage to the foot and influence the development of the pediatric foot to “normal”, however in certain cases adult intervention can be helpful.

Adult Subtalar Implant

The problem with Adult Subtalar Arthroeresis is that tolerating the implant in the Subtalar joint is not always a guarantee for adults.  The implant is also different.  The adult version of this procedure utilizes a titanium implant.  The procedure is still minimally invasive, however there are more factors to take into consideration before making the decision to do surgery.  Ultimately like most procedures, consultation with your surgeon is most important to get a comprehensive understanding of the options that are available for you.