What Can Cause Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction (PTTD) ?

Overview
Have you noticed that the medial arch of your foot is becoming flatter when you walk? You may be developing adult acquired flat foot. This condition is typically caused by a problem with a tendon on the medial side of your foot called the Posterior Tibial Tendon that is not functioning well. You may experience pain in the inner side of your foot when you walk. The affected foot appears to roll outwards (the sole of the foot is trying to face outwards) when you walk. This is called over-pronation of the foot. The back of your heel may start to point outwards (heel valgus). Over time you may lose the ability to tip toe on that foot as the posterior tibial tendon stretches out and it may eventually tear.

Causes
Obesity - Overtime if your body is carrying those extra pounds, you can potentially injure your feet. The extra weight puts pressure on the ligaments that support your feet. Also being over weight can lead to type two diabetes which also can attribute to AAFD. Diabetes - Diabetes can also play a role in Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity. Diabetes can cause damage to ligaments, which support your feet and other bones in your body. In addition to damaged ligaments, uncontrolled diabetes can lead to ulcers on your feet. When the arches fall in the feet, the front of the foot is wider, and outer aspects of the foot can start to rub in your shoe wear. Patients with uncontrolled diabetes may not notice or have symptoms of pain due to nerve damage. Diabetic patient don?t see they have a problem, and other complications occur in the feet such as ulcers and wounds. Hypertension - High blood pressure cause arteries narrow overtime, which could decrease blood flow to ligaments. The blood flow to the ligaments is what keeps the foot arches healthy, and supportive. Arthritis - Arthritis can form in an old injury overtime this can lead to flatfeet as well. Arthritis is painful as well which contributes to the increased pain of AAFD. Injury - Injuries are a common reason as well for AAFD. Stress from impact sports. Ligament damage from injury can cause the bones of the foot to fallout of ailment. Overtime the ligaments will tear and result in complete flattening of feet.

Symptoms
At first you may notice pain and swelling along the medial (big toe) side of the foot. This is where the posterior tibialis tendon travels from the back of the leg under the medial ankle bone to the foot. As the condition gets worse, tendon failure occurs and the pain gets worse. Some patients experience pain along the lateral (outside) edge of the foot, too. You may find that your feet hurt at the end of the day or after long periods of standing. Some people with this condition have trouble rising up on their toes. They may be unable to participate fully in sports or other recreational activities.

Diagnosis
Starting from the knee down, check for any bowing of the tibia. A tibial varum will cause increased medial stress on the foot and ankle. This is essential to consider in surgical planning. Check the gastrocnemius muscle and Achilles complex via a straight and bent knee check for equinus. If the range of motion improves to at least neutral with bent knee testing of the Achilles complex, one may consider a gastrocnemius recession. If the Achilles complex is still tight with bent knee testing, an Achilles lengthening may be necessary. Check the posterior tibial muscle along its entire course. Palpate the muscle and observe the tendon for strength with a plantarflexion and inversion stress test. Check the flexor muscles for strength in order to see if an adequate transfer tendon is available. Check the anterior tibial tendon for size and strength.

Non surgical Treatment
Flatfoot can be treated with a variety of methods, including modified shoes, orthotic devices, a brace or cast, anti-inflammatory medications or limited steroid injections, rest, ice, and physical therapy. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

Surgical Treatment
In cases of PTTD that have progressed substantially or have failed to improve with non-surgical treatment, surgery may be required. For some advanced cases, surgery may be the only option. Symptomatic flexible flatfoot conditions are common entities in both the adolescent and adult populations. Ligamentous laxity and equinus play a significant role in most adolescent deformities. Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) is the most common cause of adult acquired flatfoot. One should consider surgical treatment for patients who have failed nonoperative therapy and have advancing symptoms and deformities that significantly interfere with the functional demands of daily life. Isolated Joint Fusion. This technique is used for well reducible flat foot by limiting motion at one or two joints that are usually arthritic. The Evans Anterior Calcaneal Osteotomy. This is indicated for late stage II adult acquired flatfoot and the flexible adolescent flatfoot. This procedure will address midtarsal instability, restore the medial longitudinal arch and reduce mild hind foot valgus. The Posterior Calcaneal Displacement Osteotomy (PCDO). This technique is indicated for late stage I and early stage II PTTD with reducible Calcaneal valgus. This is often combined with a tendon transfer. A PCDO is also indicated as an adjunctive procedure in the surgical reconstruction of the severe flexible adolescent flatfoot. Soft tissue procedure. On their own these are not very effective but in conjunction with an osseous procedure, soft tissue procedures can produce good outcome. Common ones are tendon and capsular repair, tendon lengthening and transfer procedures. Flat foot correction requires lengthy post operative period and a lot of patience. Your foot may need surgery but you might simply not have the time or endurance to go through the rehab phase of this type of surgery. We will discuss these and type of procedures necessary for your surgery in length before we go further with any type of intervention.