Intoeing and Out-Toeing

Intoeing and out-toeing is the second most common problem seen in children. Parents are often extremely concerned that the deformity will persist to adulthood.

The diagnosis of intoeing and out-toeing is fairly easy. Watching the child walk will demonstrate that the feet are deviated to the inside or out. The difficult aspects is diagnosing the cause of intoeing or out-toeing. The deformity can occur anywhere from the lower back to the hips and knees or to the foot and ankle itself. The other question that arises is whether the problem will fix itself as the child grows or whether some sort of medical intervention (conservative or surgical) is appropriate. Children are not fully skeletally mature until their late teens. This means that the bones are constantly growing and changing their angular relationship. In some cases deformities are so severe that surgical intervention is required. However, in the majority of cases, simply bracing or having the child where orthotics will cure the problem.

The orthotics will help keep the bones in the feet in proper alignment. As the child grows the bones will adjust and realign into a more normal alignment. One concern when parents consider orthotics is that the child will grow out of them to quickly. Often times a very inexpensively purchased warranty will replace the orthotics if the child outgrows them. Some insurance will cover orthotics.

If your child begins to have a problem with his feet often times it can be solved very quickly. Children are very resilient and often by eliminating the causing force the child will feel immediate relief.