A flat foot is not always a problem

Many people naturally have a relatively low arch and have no symptoms at all.

The situation is different when the arch progressively collapses, the heel moves outward, the foot becomes painful or the shape of the foot starts interfering with walking and footwear.

This condition has traditionally been called adult-acquired flatfoot or posterior tibial tendon dysfunction. The term progressive collapsing foot deformity (PCFD) better reflects the fact that several structures—including tendons, ligaments and joints—may contribute to the deformity.