What is a bunion

1
What is a bunion?

• An enlargement at the base of the big toe
• Bone or tissue moves out of place
• Forces the toe to bend toward others
• This joint carries much weight when walking,
  therefore, can be painful

2
Bunion symptoms

• Development of a firm bump on outside of foot at
  base of big toe
• Redness, swelling or pain at the base of the
  joint
• Painful over lapping 2nd digit
• Restricted or painful motion of big toe

3
How do you get a bunion?

• Mechanical instability of your foot causing
  disruption of the normal forces exerted on the
  joints and tendons
• Caused by years of abnormal motion and pressure
  on big toe joint
• Caused by the way we walk, our inherited foot
  type, our shoes
• Abnormal foot mechanics can be passed down to
  children which can make them more prone to foot
  problems like bunions

4
More causes for bunions?

• Foot injuries, neuromuscular disorders, or
  congenital deformities
• People with flat feet or low arches
• People with arthritis or inflammatory joint
  disease
• Occupations that put stress on feet like ballet
  dancers
• Shoes that are too tight

5
What you can do for relief?

• Bunion pads around bony prominence
• Wear shoes with wide deep toe box
• If painful apply ice
• Avoid heels over 2 inches high

6
When to see a Podiatrist?

• First sign of pain or discomfort of bunion
• Early recognition and treatment will make
  nonsurgical treatment more possible

7
Conservative Treatment for Bunion Pain

• Goal is to relieve pressure on the bunion and
  halt the progression of the joint deformity
• Padding and Taping
• Medication
• Physical Therapy
• Orthotics

8
Conservative Treatment for Bunion Pain

• Padding and Taping
• Used as a first treatment to minimize pain and
  continue a normal, active life
• Helps keep foot in a normal position, thus,
  reducing stress and pain

9
Conservative Treatment for Bunion Pain

• Medication
• Anti-inflammatory are prescribed to ease acute
  pain and inflammations caused by joint deformity
• Cortisone injections are used to decrease
  inflammation directly in the joint

10
Conservative Treatment for Bunion Pain

• Physical Therapy
• Often used to provide relief of the inflammation
  and from bunion pain
• Ultrasound is often helpful for bunion pain and
  associated soft tissue involvement

11
Conservative Treatment for Bunion Pain

• Orthotics
• Help control foot function
• Reduce painful symptoms
• Decrease progression of bunion

12
Surgical Options

• When early treatment fails or bunion progresses
  pass threshold surgery may be an option
• Bunion surgery will remove bony enlargement,
  restore normal alignment to the toe joint and
  relieve pain

13
Surgical Options

• Mild bunion deformities can be corrected with
  removal of the bony prominence
• Severe bunions may require a more involved
  procedure which involve surgically fracturing the
  bone and realigning the joint

14
Bunion Before and After Surgery

• Here is a picture of a patient taken before
  surgery then 3 months after surgery

15
X-Ray Before and After Surgery

• This patient had a moderately severe bunion that
  required 2 screws to hold the bone that was
  surgically fractured
• Pt also had an additional procedure to correct a
  bunionette on the outside of her foot