Podoscopic examination was performed in 582
children (index subjects) aged 4 to 10 years,
and in 132 couples of parents and 114 siblings
of index subjects with flat or cavus foot or
normal foot. In the index subjects the overall
incidence of flat foot was 15 % with a greater
frequency in males; the incidence decreased
from 29 % to 14 % between 4 and 6 years and
then remained substantially stable. Two thirds
of the affected children had a flat foot of slight
or moderate severity; 39 °/o were obese. Overall,
a cavus foot was found in 16 % of the index
subjects, females being more frequently affected; the incidence of the deformity ranged
from 3 % at 4 years to about 20 % at 8-10
years. The frequency of flat foot was significantly higher in the parents (33%) and siblings (31 %) of the index subjects with flat
foot than in the parents (10%) and siblings
(11 %) of the index subjects with a normal
foot. No familiar predisposition to cavus foot
was observed
