title: The effect of persistent toe walking on the skeletal development of the pediatric foot and ankle.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether persistent idiopathic toe walking leads to compensatory skeletal changes in the pediatric foot and ankle. Foot radiographs of children diagnosed with idiopathic toe walking and sex-matched and age-matched controls were retrospectively reviewed. Five blinded providers assessed the foot radiographs for skeletal changes to the ankle. The relationship between each measure and toe-walking status was examined. Providers observed radiographic evidence of skeletal changes of the talus in idiopathic toe walkers compared with controls, suggesting that persistent toe walking impacts the skeletal development of the talus.
  
  
  METHODS
  prognostic level III.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
authors.forename: Allison A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua Q
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Knowlton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000842:Ankle / Q000503:physiopathology; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013628:Talus / Q000502:physiology; D014034:Toes; D016474:Weight-Bearing / Q000502:physiology*