Erroneous theory of the transverse arch of the foot and its negative consequences

Based on our own research and the literature overview we verified the concept of the transverse arch of the foot and the use of this concept in the aetiology of acquired female foot changes. The results of podological studies carried out for many years in the Orthopaedic Department in Lublin have not demonstrated the existence of a transversal arch, and thus questioned its impact on the formation of forefoot changes in women. In order to obtain a fully objective assessment of the issue, a study was carried out at the Vincent Pol University in Lublin in 2013, including, among others, a dynamic podographic evaluation of 25 women aged from 17 to 26 years. The analysis of the results obtained undermined the historical view of the existence of the transversal arch of the foot and its role in the formation of acquired pathological changes of the forefoot. Aim: In view of the notion of the transversal arch of the foot that can still be found in a number of publications attributing to it a significant function in the formation of forefoot overload in women, the aim of the present study was to explain the above issue explicitly.