Definition:
Pes Planus, also known as flat foot, consists of a low longitudinal arch, impacts foot stability and is usually associated with pronation because the longitudinal arch cannot collapse directly downward, but collapses medially, causing pronation. It can be identified by the placement of the navicular tuberosity falling below the Feiss Line and a noticeable medial bulge where the arch should be visible. Some causes are lax ligaments in the tarsus, barefoot dancing, and hereditary tendencies.
Franco explains, "the person whose calcaneus is in valgus will have a relatively flat arched foot because of the untwisting of the interconnecting ligaments of the forefoot and the hindfoot". He also states "a flat footed person requires more muscle action than a non flat footed person to support and propel the weight of his body"(Franco). In other words, Pes Planus can inhibit proper weight bearing and locomotion within various dance genres. From this information, we can conclude that from Pes Planus, the muscles of the foot are forced to compensate for this deviation. Thus, causing fatigue and overuse in various muscles of the foot such as the intrinsics and supinator muscles.
