Journal of Clinical Medicine
Radiographic Changes and Recorded Complications After Nonabsorbable Endosinotarsal Screw Arthroereisis for Symptomatic Pediatric Flexible Flatfoot: A Retrospective Cohort Study
By Sergio De Salvatore, Costanzo Testa, Silvia Salera and 7 others.
Abstract
Background
Subtalar arthroereisis is used for selected children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot that persists despite nonoperative management, but published evidence is limited by heterogeneous indications and frequent failure to account for bilateral observations. This study evaluated radiographic change and the complications recorded after nonabsorbable endosinotarsal screw arthroereisis.
Methods
We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients aged 8–15 years treated at a tertiary pediatric orthopedic center between 2018 and 2024. Eligible patients had symptomatic flexible planovalgus deformity, failure of at least 6 months of conservative treatment, isolated screw arthroereisis, and complete weight-bearing radiographs obtained preoperatively and at 12 months postoperatively. Meary’s angle, the Costa–Bertani angle, Kite’s angle, and calcaneal pitch were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with repeated observations at the foot level nested within patients.