A second important ligament is the spring ligament, a thick fibrous tissue band that connects the calcaneus (heel bone) to the navicular bone. It presents as pain upon arising first thing in the morning or after prolonged periods of sitting. Plantar fasciitis is a common condition that affects nearly 3 million people a year in the US alone and is responsible for approximately 700,000 office visits annually. Sometimes individuals with flexible flat feet develop an inflammation of the plantar fascia known as plantar fasciitis. Individuals with flat feet cannot load a spring because the elastic band cannot be stretched and therefore an unstretched elastic band can return no energy. There are important ligaments and tendons that help the arch of the foot store and return energy.

This “extra” phase of gait essentially slows down the gait cycle and delays the propulsive phase. After midstance, whereas the normal foot would be heading into heel off, the flat foot must deal with the excessive pronation prior to proceeding to this next step.

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