A very common condition that affects children as they are evolving is called in-toeing. This is the condition where the toes have a tendency to point inward and is sometimes referred to as being pigeon-toed. While having your child walking with his or her toes pointed inward may be of concern to parents, most of the time the child will outgrow the condition by the age of eight or nine.

The 3 main types of in-toeing are:

• Having a twisted shinbone (tibial torsion)—The twisting of the shinbone actually begins in the womb. Usually by the time children reach school age, the tibia will correct it’s twisting tendency. After age nine or ten, if the condition has not properly evolved, a surgical solution may be required.
• Having a curved foot (metatarsus adductus) —This is the name given when the bend that causes the toes to point inward occurs in the middle of the foot. Since the foot is usually flexible at this stage, correction can be obtained with specially designed boots or shoes.
• Having a twisted thighbone (femoral anteversion)—When the thighbone turns inward causing both the knees and the feet to face inwards the condition is called femoral anteversion. While it also often corrects by age nine with no intervention, after that point surgery may be needed to straighten the femur.

Having your children’s feet checked by your foot doctor on a regular basis is always a good idea, especially during early development. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, Woodlyn, and Downingtown. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.