Foot binding was a painful process involving soaking, tightly wrapping, and reshaping bones to create a small conical shape. This reshaping bent ligaments and tendons, shifting bone placement. The heel ended up almost parallel to the fibula and at a right angle to the floor. Several radiographic findings of bound feet reveal prominent deformities such as pes cavus (high arches), foreshortened feet, and vertical orientation of the calcaneus (heel bone). 
These deformities caused chronic pain and mobility issues, leading to frequent falls, lower hip bone density, and difficulty with basic tasks. Chronic ulcers and infections worsened due to constant binding, often rendering women unable to walk.