Foot Orthosis (FO): A Corrective Solution for Flat Feet and Foot Deformities

Foot orthosis, or FO (Foot Orthosis), is an orthotic device offered by Lê Hoàn Prosthetics & Orthotics to correct deformities, injuries or defects of the foot. Common indications include flat feet, foot deformities caused by disease or trauma, congenital deformities, and loss of foot sensation from diabetic complications.

The main functions of a foot orthosis are to prevent and correct foot deformities by realigning the foot to its proper anatomical axis; to relieve pain by redistributing pressure across the foot's contact surface; and to compensate for leg-length discrepancies. Among foot problems, flat foot (collapsed arch) is by far the most common. Flat feet are typically associated with excessive pronation during the stance phase of gait, which rotates the heel bone and lower leg inward, leading to knee hyperextension, knock-knees, hip flexion, apparent leg-length shortening, and strain on the iliopsoas muscle.

Over time, bilateral flat feet tend to cause the lumbar spine to arch (lordosis) along with thoracic kyphosis, while unilateral flat foot can cause a leg-length discrepancy and rotation of the lumbar spine, unbalancing the trunk muscles on each side — one of the risk factors for scoliosis, particularly in young children whose bones, joints and tendons are still developing. Early intervention with a foot orthosis, while the deformity is still functional rather than structurally fixed, can help restore whole-body alignment without needing a shoe lift to balance leg length.

A real case at the clinic: a 12-year-old girl (Hà Đông) presented with bilateral flat feet, collapsed arches and axial misalignment causing her feet to rotate inward and a relative leg-length discrepancy, along with mild scoliosis at her first examination. After being fitted with corrective flat-foot insoles, her standing posture visibly improved; after three months of continuous use, her spine was noticeably straighter and her body's center of gravity more balanced. At age 12, the arch itself was unlikely to improve much since the foot structure was nearly set, but the orthotic insoles still provided valuable spinal support and reduced the risk of scoliosis progressing sharply during puberty — she did not need a spinal brace, only foot orthoses to treat the underlying flat-foot cause.

Contact Lê Hoàn Prosthetics & Orthotics at hotline 0985211888 for advice on the right foot orthosis for you.