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All You Need to Know About Bunions

Published in September 5th, 2010
Posted in Medicine

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If you were to ask a person on the street what causes bunions, a majority of them would respond the type of shoes we wear. While there is some truth to this statement, much of it is in fact false. Shoes never cause bunions, they only make it worse! It is in fact caused by the over-pronation of one’s feet that causes the big toe joint to be pushed into the ground thus preventing it from bending naturally during a step. As a result, to relieve the extreme force within the joint, the big toe moves towards the smaller ones thus deforming the toe joint and causing an irregular bony prominence at the base of the big toe.

While bunions are not hereditary, many family members do experience this deformity due to the genetics of foot-types which are hereditary, which in most cases are usually women. Usually, bunions can be treated in its initial stages but if left unattended, surgery will sooner or later be required as the joint pain becomes unbearable and simple walking activities become limited due to this. All in all, doctors at the Foot Ankle Center of Washington would recommend surgery as the last option due to the many conservative options available in curtailing this painful occurrence.

Bunion Surgery
Typically, a patient/doctor can make an inference that surgery is needed after following observations:
-A person’s activities are limited due to immense pain from the toe joint with the bunion.
-Conservative methods to treat the bunions have failed (that is, the situation has not improved).
-Wearing orthotic shoes as a form of shoe therapy that provides comfort and feet modifications fail.
-A clinical exam and x-ray confirms the presence of the bunion(s).
-Anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal drugs provide no relief
-Pain is experienced on the inside of the toe joint.

Once these remedies have all failed as well as the other occurrences above have all been experienced, then the next possible step is to consider which type of bunion surgery is the most suitable.
Types of Bunion Surgery

As we all have different foot types then it goes hand in hand that treatment for bunions will also range differently. Additionally, it also brings to the forefront the point that due to these differences, patients will gradually recover in their own way. Ultimately, the goal of each type is to realign the joint, relieve pain and correct deformity. Five such ways will be discussed briefly:

1. Arthrodesis- this process involves the inclusion of wires, plates and screws after the injured joint surfaces have been removed.

2. Resection Arthroplasty- this process involves the creation of a flexible scar join by way of eradicating the damaged part of the toe joint.

3. Repairing Tendons and Ligaments around the Big Toe- this process involves tightening the loose tissues and loosening the tight tissues so as to avoid the drifting of the big toes towards the other toes.

4. Exostectomy- this process involves the elimination of the irregular bony prominence so as to enlarge the bone itself.

5. Osteotomy- this process involves cutting and realigning the big toe joint.

In retrospect, considering bunion surgery can be very confusing due to the numerous misconceptions about bunions in general. All in all, seeking a physician who is precise and versed on such a topic guarantees a quick recovery from such a painstaking ordeal.

Dr. Larry Huppin is a nationally recognized lecturer and teacher on orthotic therapy and biomechanics. He specializes in orthotic therapy in Seattle at the Foot and Ankle Center of Washington.

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