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“Each year the
Belmont Bees
close off our
usually hectic
year with a lavish
Dinner where we
relax and enjoy
a sumptuous
meal. On this
occasion we were
entertained by the
beautiful renditions
of Reverend
Patricia Morris
and of Claudia
John of the Picton Performing Arts Company. This year we
also enjoyed the debut performance of our own Belmont
Bees Chorale who led us in a lively medley of traditional
Christmas songs and Parang.
Bravo to our songsters!”
“For the past four years Belmont Bees has hosted over 100
children from the Belmont area aged 0 to 12 at a Christmas
party. This year as usual the children had a grand time.
They were entertained by a face-painting clown, a Bouncy
Castle and music. They took part in a number of entertaining
games, ate sumptuously and were given gifts by our very
own Santa Claus.”
C
an you be affected by flatfeet in your silver years?
The unfortunate answer to this question is yes. An
individual is said to have flatfeet when they lose the
normal support along the inner aspect of the sole of their
feet. Flatfeet is one of the most common foot and ankle
conditions affecting women over the age of 40 years but
men are not immune.
The first thing a person with flatfeet might notice is a change
in the shape of their feet. This may lead to abnormal wear
of their shoes or difficulty in getting properly fitting shoes.
Individuals may also experience pain in the inner or outer
aspect of their feet. It is widely felt in the orthopaedic
community that flatfeet may play a role in an individual
developing bunions (hallux valgus).
Outside of the expected symptoms in the foot and ankle
region, individuals may also experience pain in their
knees, hips or lower back. This is thought to be due to the
overall alignment of the person being thrown out of whack.
Individuals can also experience functional impairment such
as struggling or being unable to stand on their toes.
The most common reason for acquired flatfeet in the non-
paediatric age group is dysfunction of one of the main
supporting structures of the foot called the tibialis posterior
tendon. Predisposing factors for acquiring the condition
include diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
Your surgeon can typically
diagnose the condition
by performing a clinical
examination. S/He will inspect
the foot to assess the severity
of the deformity and determine
if there is any functional
impairment. An investigation in the form of x-rays is usually
performed. Depending on the clinical findings, more
specialized investigations such as an ultrasound scan or a
CT/MRI scan may be required.
The treatment options are varied and dependent on
the clinical findings. The non-surgical options include:
accommodative shoes with wide toe box; orthoses (insoles)
to support medial arch; weight loss and exercises; Achilles
tendon (heel cord) stretches. The surgical options include:
Achilles tendon lengthening; Calcaneal osteotomy to realign
the hind foot; Tibialis posterior tendon reconstruction; Triple
fusion of the foot; Subtalar arthroereisis.
At the FAOC, trained orthopaedic specialists would be
able to assess your feet and determine what is the most
appropriate management strategy for your individual
condition.
L A James FRCS Tr&Orth
Consultant Orthopaedic surgeon
Flatfeet
Belmont Bees
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