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bunionsA bunion, or hallux valgus, is a deformity of the big toe joint. This type of pathology is usually manifested as a “bump” on the inside of the foot just behind the big toe. The bump can be very small or reasonably large; the size of which is not necessarily proportional to the amount of pain one can experience. Along with this bony bump there can be an associated bursitis which is a “cushion” that the body originally creates to protect an area from pressure or friction, but after a while this cushion can also become inflamed and painful. The last component of this deformity is the deviation of the big toe as it moves toward the second toe, sometimes even underlapping or overlapping the second toe.
Here is a picture of a hallux valgus deformity compared to a normal big toe. The deformed toe is on the left, the normal big toe joint on right.
Below is a hallux valgus deformity (blue arrow) with the big toe under lapping the second toe.
Poor fitting and high style shoes are usually blamed as the culprit for the formation of this deformity (that is why they are more prevalent in women), but the truth is most of these deformities are an inherited feature. More specifically, this pathology is related to foot structure and function both of which are inherited features.
The short story is feet that have a tendency to excessively pronate cause an over-flattening of the foot. This excessive flattening causes excessive tension on the extensor hallucis tendon (the tendon on the top of the foot that enables you to bend your big toe upwards). This causes the tendon to "bowstring" and in doing so forces the big toe to be pulled laterally, toward the second toe. This is what causes the initial deviation. Over time, there is a retrograde (or backward) force placed on the first metatarsal bone by the big toe and the first metatarsal bone begins to move medially (or away from the second metatarsal bone). Due to these changes there is now more pressure on the side of first metatarsal bone from shoe pressure and this causes a hyperostosis or thickening of bone and this results in the formation of this type deformity.
So, in theory, if you lived on a tropical island and never wore shoes your whole life you could still develop hallux valgus. Below is a video describing the formation of this deformity in technical detail. Just because you have this deformity does not necessarily mean you have to have treatment. In the asymptomatic or non-painful deformity it is more prudent to find the underlying cause of the deformity and make changes accordingly. In most cases a prescription orthotic device by a podiatrist will control the abnormal foot function that is aggravating the formation of the deformity. In most individuals it is excess pronation or over flattening of the foot that causes bunion formation. As the foot flattens, it essentially elongates which causes an over stretching of the tendon that brings the big toe upward. The over stretching causes a "bow string" effect on the tendon and in order to compensate for this, the big toe starts to move laterally towards the second toe. As the big toe moves laterally, it then places a retrograde force (backward force) against the first metatarsal bone, forcing this bone to move medially, away from the second metatarsal bone. The end result is the formation of the bunion deformity. The bunion deformity then creates an unequal alignment of the joint itself and causes the joint to wear out, over time. Once the joint is worn down sufficiently pain ensues when you try to bend the toe while walking. So what an orthotic does in these cases is to reduce the over flattening of the foot which then results in an improved alignment of the joint and reduction of pain in the joint itself. The degree of relief is probably inversely proportional to the degree of damage that is already done. This means orthotics generally will work on mild to moderate bunion pain but not severe bunion pain. Keep in mind that orthotics especially in women will require a wider if not slightly longer shoe. So if a shoe that is tight and irritating a bunion to begin with has an orthotic added to it, the shoe becomes even tighter (and more painful). This therapy will not make the existing deformity disappear, but it should slow down or eliminate further worsening of the condition. Follow this link for more information, hallux valgus and orthotics. More obvious would be the elimination of shoes that are either too narrow, to flimsy in support, or too high in the heel. Trying to wear a narrow high style shoe with a large great toe deformity is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole; it just does not fit. This kind of mentality will eventually lead to a worsening of the condition.
Generally speaking, hallux valgus is a progressive deformity and in most people will worsen over time (if appropriate measures are not taken to remove the underlying cause). When evaluating this deformity we recognize two types of pain. One, the more common of which is the “bump” pain or pain on the inside of the foot from the bony enlargement. People will complain of pain in shoes, the more narrow the more painful. Generally, these same people will not experience pain when walking barefoot.
The other type of pain in this condition is what is known as joint pain. As the big toe starts to move closer to the second toe it creates an abnormal alignment in the big toe joint. This causes a premature erosion of cartilage and over time the joint will no longer move smoothly and the patient will start to experience pain and limitation of motion of the big toe. This type of pain can be experienced both in and out of shoes.
As previously mentioned, the best treatment is conservative treatment started when one first recognizes this condition developing. Once the deformity worsens and begins to hurt, treatment becomes more aggressive and invasive. Use of anti-inflammatory medication is fine for short term use but should never be considered as a solution in that over the long haul the medication will lead to systemic problems in most individuals. Conservative non-surgical treatments include modification in shoe selection, such as shoes that are wider and take pressure off the deformity. Sometimes physical therapy can be helpful in relieving flare ups. If the pain is limited to the large bump and associated bursitis, a cortisone injection may be helpful. I am not big on cushions and braces that are sold for this condition because in most cases they just take up more space in the shoe and put more pressure on the bump. My only exception to this is in people who are experiencing "joint pain". Wearing a night splint may relieve some of the discomfort. I have also been known to use these splints after surgery, for a short time, in an effort to keep the joint properly aligned during the healing process. The bunion splint on the left is for night use only, while the splint on the right is for day time use. Keep in mind, you can only wear laced casual shoes. click either picture to order
The question frequently asked of me is when to have surgery to correct this deformity. (It is estimated that over 200,000 people per year have hallux valgus surgery in the United States) My criteria is simple; when the pain of the deformity starts to affect your everyday life on a regular basis. You no longer golf, or go for daily walks, or go shopping with your friends out of fear that “my bunion will start hurting”. Now the quality of your life is being affected. See my essay on surgical consideration. Having said that, keep in mind that hallux valgus surgery is not without risks (as is any kind of surgery) and that the type of surgery your friend may have had, may not be the type you will require. The well trained podiatrist probably does at least a half dozen different types of procedures based primarily on the size of deformity. The type of procedure will usually determine the length of recuperation. The risks of hallux valgus surgery include the following:
Even worse, the hallux varus throws off the "architecture" of the foot. Because the big toe and to a lesser extent, the second toe are in a "varus" position she has developed a painful corn on the end of her third toe.
The type of anesthesia used in this type of surgery ranges anywhere from local anesthesia where just the foot is put to sleep, to intravenous sedation (twilight sedation) with local anesthesia, to general anesthesia. The vast majority of my patients are done under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation on an outpatient basis. I prefer this type of anesthesia because the patient feels no pain, is not having general anesthesia and all the potential risks associated with general anesthesia, and tends to be awake shortly after surgery with less chance of being "sick" from the anesthesia during the following 24 hours. Bunion surgery has become very sophisticated surgery; it is not just a question of removing the bump. Most of the procedures done attempt to realign the joint.(joint pain vs. bump pain) Discuss your bunion surgery options with your doctor
Below is a short video of bunion surgery demonstrating an Austin bunionectomy. The metatarsal bone is surgically broken with precise cuts in an effort to realign the bone (osteotomy). With the great fixation procedures that we have today people can walk after a bunion osteotomy. As a side note new advances in medicine seem to be occurring on a daily basis. Bunion surgery is no different. The video you just viewed of an Austin bunionectomy shows one of the procedures we do to surgically break and reset bone (osteotomy) in an effort to move the first metatarsal bone closer to the second metatarsal bone to get better alignment of the big toe joint.
A new device called the TightRope fixation manufactured by Arthrex is a high tension wire that is placed through the first and second metatarsal bones in an effort to reduce the distance between the two bones. The beauty of this concept is that an osteotomy does not have to be performed. Since most bunion complications generally center around the osteotomy itself, having another option to reduce the intermetatarsal angle is very exciting.
If you look at the two x-rays below the one on the left is the preoperative x-ray. The goal of surgery as represented by the horizontal arrow is to move the first metatarsal bone closer to the second metatarsal. The x-ray on the right is the postoperative view and you can see the "tightrope" that has been drilled through both the first and second metatarsal bones and is held together by the black anchors.
I must caution you that the use of the TightRope for bunion correction is a relatively new concept but is very promising.
Update November 2010 After having read a recent study regarding the TightRope procedure I thought I would pass along some of the findings. Please keep in mind this was a very small study and it was done on people who had the procedure performed two years ago or less. (This procedure, like most medical procedures need to be examined at least five years down the road with a large patient population.)
The most common complication from this type of procedure has been fracturing of the second metatarsal bone which in all cases required further surgery to correct the fracture. There are a number of reasons this may happen. If the bone stock is not adequate, meaning there is a reasonable amount of osteoporosis or osteopenia, whereby the overall calcification is diminished. Of course this is a problem that should be looked at pre-operatively in any potential candidate. Secondly, one also needs to evaluate the overall thickness of the second metatarsal bone. Many people exhibit a very thin second metatarsal bone relative to the first metatarsal and to expect the thinner bone to support the larger bone may be a bit of a stretch. This too should be evaluated pre-operatively.
The study mentions other possible causes for failure such as the fact that the drill holes through the second metatarsal bone will naturally weaken the bone. In addition they mention the fact that the first metatarsal bone has its own range of motion independent from the other metatarsal bones, thus putting more stress on the second metatarsal bone. Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the tension wire itself is made of a hard abrasive suturing material that over time in connection with the movement of the first metatarsal will cause a "sawing" motion on the second metatarsal and will eventually weaken the bone.
If any of you reading this section are contemplating having this procedure done, please discuss these potential complications with your surgeon.
The next video demonstrates implant surgery for correction of a bunion. This is generally done when your doctor determines that the cartilage is too worn out to be salvaged and is then replaced by an artificial joint. This procedure is sometimes performed in conjunction with an osteotomy procedure to realign the metatarsal and toe bones.
Many patients ask me if you can have laser surgery on bunions. The answer is no. Theoretically you could use a co2 laser to make the skin incision (which I have done) but it really affords no advantage over a regular scalpel incision. More importantly, lasers cannot remove bone, all they do is burn bone, so a laser could not be used to remove the large bump of a bunion deformity.
Recovery time after bunion surgery will vary depending on a number of factors. Probably the most important factor is the type of bunion surgery being performed. People will generally recover quicker with a more simpler procedure. The more complicated procedures take longer to heal, then there is the time period involved to rehabilitate the joint generally through physical therapy. This does not mean you are not walking after bunion surgery; in most cases the patient is walking immediately. By this I mean you can ambulate from day one (there are some bunion procedures where you have to be nonweightbearing for a period of time; discuss this with your doctor), meaning you will be able to get around and take care of yourself but by no means will you be on the golf course.
The goal in this day and age is to get our patients walking as soon as possible in an effort to keep the newly remodeled joint moving. Years ago the thinking was to keep the patient in bed so that the joint could heal; the problem with that line of logic was that the joint tended to get stiff and it would take even longer to rehabilitate.
There is some controversy in the medical community about the benefit of physical therapy after surgery. I do not send all my patients for physical therapy; in fact in many cases I will just give them instructions in exercises and other things they can do at home to facilitate their healing (and only hope they actually follow my instructions).
Most experienced surgeons can get a "feel" for when a patient is not progressing along a normal healing time line. In those instances and in situations where a patient may develop a problem, physical therapy by a physical therapist becomes more important.
Other factors that will affect the recovery time after bunion surgery include your age, younger people tend to heal quicker, your overall health, and maybe the most important factor is patient compliance. Follow your doctor's postoperative orders for home care and mobilization. Generally, when patients are noncompliant they will run into more postoperative problems.
Once your sutures have been removed and if not in a cast, you will be ready for a shoe. This does not mean your everyday shoes. Some doctors like to have their patients wear a daytime bunion splint to maintain their surgical correction. This plus the fact that your foot will be swollen (a normal part of healing) will make it impossible to wear the shoes you already own. I generally have my patients buy an inexpensive pair of sneakers large enough to accommodate the enlarged foot and splint; this seems to work out well. If you were given a surgical shoe to wear you want to get out of that for two reasons. One, it limits motion in the joint, which we do not want and secondly patients start complaining of back pain, plus, you cannot drive with a surgical shoe if it is on your right foot.
If after reading this page you are still "up in the air" as to what you should do about your bunion, may I suggest you visit the following web site for a personal account of one person's experience with a variety of non-surgical bunion treatments The bunion experiment.
While we are on the subject of bunions we should also discuss the condition known as tailors bunion. This is a bunion deformity on the outside of the foot.
In the picture below you will notice the location of a tailors bunion.
This condition got its name from the turn of the last century when tailors would spend long hours working with their feet crossed in such a manner that the outside of the feet would continually press against the floor and as a result, over time, the bump on the outside of the foot would form.
This condition can be an acquired problem such as the example above or a congenital problem where there is a flare laterally of the fifth metatarsal bone resulting in the head of the bone being very prominent.
In either case the foot now has trouble fitting into a conventional shoe, (it is too wide). If there is enough pressure on the bone a secondary bursitis may form which will make the pain even worse. In those with poor circulation the skin overlying the bone may breakdown from too much pressure.
A tailors bunion will generally only hurt in shoes and be fine barefoot, or in open shoes like a sandal.
So now that we know the major precipitating factor is shoes, the sensible move would be to avoid shoes that aggravate the condition. Shoes that are too narrow, or have too high a heel, or are made of very stiff material will all go a long way to aggravating the tailors bunion.
You can always try padding over the tailors bunion but I generally find that to be a waste of time. All the pad does is take up more room and cause the tailors bunion to hurt more.
If there is an inflamed bursal sac, a cortisone injection can be very helpful with the understanding that if you do not modify your shoe selection, the problem will eventually return.
Anti-inflammatory medication can be tried but I find it is rarely helpful by itself.
If all else fails there is always surgical intervention. A tailors bunion is different than the classic bunion in that in this type of bunion we do not really have to worry about biomechanical considerations.
Sometimes going in and removing the enlarged bone is all that is necessary, but in general, if there is a real lateral flare to the fifth metatarsal bone, an osteotomy (cutting and resetting of the bone to change its angulation) may be necessary.
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