Foot deformities in athletes

Foot deformities are very common in the general population including competitive athletes. They can cause disabling symptoms and jeopardize the future of sport.We conducted a prospective descriptive study of foot deformities in a cohort of 100 competitive athletes consulting the National Center for Sports Medicine and Science (CNMSS) through clinical and podoscopic examination as well as consultation of medical records and pathological history data.Out of 100 competitive athletes we identified 23 different foot deformities the most common of which was flatfoot. Curiously the frequency of injuries did not differ between those with and without foot deformities (p=0.08). However two athletes in our cohort reported iterative cessation of sports activities due to chronic foot pain and one athlete changed sports disciplines due to reduced performance.So in the end should we be worried?The answer in this book was not as simple as it seems...