Trench foot
Trench foot can be prevented by keeping the feet clean, warm, and dry. It was also discovered in World War I that a key preventive measure was regular foot inspections; soldiers would be paired and each made responsible for the feet of the other, and they would generally apply whale oil to prevent trench foot. If left to their own devices, soldiers might neglect to take off their own boots and socks to dry their feet each day, but if it were the responsibility of another, this became less likely. Later on in the war, instances of trench foot began to decrease, probably as a result of the introduction of the aforementioned measures; of wooden duckboards to cover the muddy, wet, cold ground of the trenches; and of the increased practice of troop rotation, which kept soldiers from prolonged time at the front.
Children's feet
Contemporary management of the paediatric flat foot is directed according to pain, age, and flexibility, considering gender, weight, and joint hypermobility. When foot orthoses are indicated, inexpensive generic appliances will usually suffice. The paediatric flat foot proforma (p-FFP) directs this evidence-based approach. Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one quasi-RCT have investigated the use of foot orthoses in children. The Cochrane Library systematic review analyzing the studies could not make a single recommendation, concluding that customised foot orthoses should be reserved for children with foot pain and arthritis, for unusual morphology, or unresponsive cases. There is an identified need for further research in this area. Surgery is rarely indicated for paediatric flat foot (unless rigid) and only at the failure of thorough conservative management.