Pes cavus

Principal authors: Louise Crawford, Jim Barrie

Latest evidence check Feb 2010.

The key things to establish in taking a history from a patient with pes cavus are:

What is the problem?

It is vital to establish each individual patient’s symptoms and to identify their concerns. Many patients have quite limited problems and little or no disability, and so can be helped with quite simple interventions.

Symptoms include:

Is there a neurological cause?

Cavus is generally thought of as a neurological deformity due to muscle imbalance. However, not all patients have an identifiable neurological cause. Important questions include:

Also, always ask whether the patient has had skin breakdown on the foot, especially skin breaks they were not initially aware of. Loss of protective sensation can make a big difference to treatment plans and the risks of treatment.