High Arch (Cavovarus Foot) Treatment in Los Angeles
Whereas a flat foot has a large surface area of contact, a foot with high arches can have excessive pressure at three points. Dr. Alexis Dixon, MD, FAAOS, a board-certified orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon in Marina Del Rey, diagnoses and treats the cavovarus foot.
Foot & Ankle Conditions
What Is a Cavovarus Foot?
A cavovarus foot is a foot with high arches. The basic structure of the foot is a tripod, with three major points of contact with the ground. These are the heel, the head of the first metatarsal, and the head of the fifth metatarsal. Whereas a flat foot has a large surface area of contact, a foot with high arches can have excessive pressure at these three points.
Get an Accurate Diagnosis
Diagnosis
A set of high-quality weight-bearing (standing) x-rays are required for diagnosis, as well as a thorough physical examination. Sometimes, an MRI may be necessary if there is concern for a tear in the tendons or ligaments.
Because a foot develops high arches generally due to an imbalance of muscle strength, a careful physical examination with attention to relative strength of the muscles is very important.
Symptoms and Related Injuries
Due to the abnormal stresses on the high-arched foot, there are some predictable patterns of chronic injury. Common injuries in high-arched feet include:
- Painful calluses
- Clawing of the toes
- Recurrent ankle sprains
- Peroneal tendinitis or tears
- Sesamoiditis or fractures of the sesamoid
- Painful bunionette
- Lateral column overload (pain at the lateral border of the foot)
- Arthritis
- Stress fractures in the foot and ankle
What Causes It?
A foot develops high arches generally due to an imbalance of muscle strength. Common causes include hereditary sensorimotor neuropathy such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, stroke, myelodysplasia, and sometimes the cause is completely unknown. Usually, a referral to a neurologist is prudent when cavus foot is symptomatic.
Conservative First, Surgical When Needed
Treatment Options
Nonsurgical
Physical therapy
Regular physical therapy appointments will help to strengthen the muscles that are weak, improve balance and teach you therapeutic exercises.
Custom orthotics and callus care
Custom orthotics may be used to normalize the foot’s contact with the ground and offload areas of pressure. Daily callus care will also decrease pain.
Surgery
Occasionally surgical intervention may be necessary when the deformity is severe or recurrent, and all non-operative treatments fail. This reconstructive surgery must address the symptomatic problem as well as the shape of the foot.
Reconstruction can involve any number of procedures, depending on the foot, so the specific plan is reviewed with you in the office.
Why See a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon (MD)?
For best results, see a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with accredited fellowship training in foot and ankle surgery about your high arches. Foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons complete medical school, five years of residency training in orthopaedic surgery, and a yearlong advanced fellowship focused on foot and ankle care.
Dr. Dixon is a board-certified orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon, not a podiatrist. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS), which requires six years of post-graduate training. A foot develops high arches generally due to an imbalance of muscle strength, and usually a referral to a neurologist is prudent when cavus foot is symptomatic, so the examination has to account for more than the shape of the arch.
After Treatment
What Recovery Looks Like
Non-operative care is ongoing. Physical therapy strengthens the muscles that are weak and improves balance, custom orthotics normalize the foot’s contact with the ground and offload areas of pressure, and daily callus care will also decrease pain.
Recovery after reconstruction depends on which procedures are done. Dr. Dixon reviews the expected timeline with you before surgery.
What Patients Say
Patient Reviews
Patient Questions
High Arch (Cavovarus Foot) FAQs
About Your Surgeon
Alexis E. Dixon, MD, FAAOS
Dr. Dixon is a board-certified orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon practicing in Marina Del Rey, California. USC-trained and named an LA Magazine Top Doctor since 2017, she combines surgical expertise with a conservative-first philosophy, treating the underlying joint and tendon, not just the symptom. She treats ganglion cysts, bunions, Achilles injuries, plantar fasciitis, fractures, and the full range of foot and ankle conditions.
Meet Dr. Dixon →Painful High Arches? Get a Real Diagnosis.
Get an accurate diagnosis and a clear plan from a board-certified orthopaedic foot & ankle surgeon in Marina Del Rey.
Sources
References
The patient handout for this condition draws on the following sources.