Equinus

Classification according to ICD-10
Q66.8	Other congenital deformities of the feet
M24.5	Joint contracture
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

An equinus foot is a malformation of the foot , which is characterized by a raised heel. The foot is fixed in flexion ( plantar flexion ) in the ankle joint . The alternative name horse's foot ( Pes equinus ) comes from the fact that the heels cannot be put on the ground when walking.

causes

It arises from a variety of causes and can be congenital or acquired. The Achilles tendon can shorten permanently, after which normal walking is no longer possible. Those affected then have to walk “on tiptoe ”. Bedridden people are affected, for example, but especially those who wear Thomas splints , usually children with Perthes' disease . The equinus can also be part of a clubfoot deformity. The equinus is also one of the most common forms of contracture in the elderly and plays an important role in care assistance. In the so-called spastic equinus foot, the malalignment is caused by permanent increase in tone (i.e. cramping / muscle tension ) of the calf muscles : The muscles responsible for plantar flexion - gastrocnemius and soleus muscles - fix the foot in the equinus position. In this case, the deformity is based on a neurological disease that is associated with spasticity (e.g. infantile cerebral palsy ). Another neurological cause can be flaccid paralysis of the extensor muscles of the lower leg ( peroneal paralysis ), which can then no longer lift the foot when walking.

The diagnosis is made clinically; The patient's gait plays an important role.

treatment

Treatment is necessary to avoid consequential damage to the skeleton. Various conservative ( physiotherapy , orthoses, botulinum toxin injections into the calf muscle) and surgical treatment options (lengthening of the Achilles tendon or calf muscle, neurotomy of the tibial nerve in the case of a spastic equinus) are available for this purpose.

Web links

• Information from the University of Lübeck

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kevin Buffenoir, Thomas Roujeau, Françoise Lapierre, Philippe Menei, Dominique Menegalli-Boggelli, Patrick Mertens, Philippe Decq: Spastic equinus foot: multicenter study of the long-term results of tibial neurotomy. In: Neurosurgery . Vol. 55, No. 5, November 2004, ISSN  1524-4040 ., Pp. 1130-1137 PMID 15509319 , doi : 10.1227 / 01.NEU.0000140840.59586.CF .

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !