Assessment of flat foot using plantar arch index in young adults

Introduction and Aim: Flat foot or pes planus results from collapse of the arches of the foot. Etiology, however varies in different age groups. As anthropometric measurements are age dependent, their correlation with different foot postures should be age specific. Our study aimed at using Plantar arch Index (PAI) to identify prevalence of flat foot in a young student population and find any association of obesity with flat foot. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 150 medical students of a medical college. Staheli’s method was used to calculate PAI after collecting the footprints of students by ink method. Results: Prevalence of type III flat foot deformity was 6%, with a male preponderance. The PAI values ranged from 0 to 1.818. No association was found between obesity and PAI. Conclusion: Obesity was not associated with flat foot in the age group 18-25 years probably indicating different etiology for acquired flat foot in this age group. Our study also suggests that simple ink print method is a simpler method to diagnose flat feet deformity clinically using PAI.