The "bunion" of the big toe or hallux valgus
What is hallux valgus?
A painful deformation of the big toe with the formation of a protrusion towards the inside of the foot or on the back of the foot, and which hurts in shoes: hallux valgus, the most frequent, rather in women, sometimes hereditary.
(the hallux rigidus, less frequent, rather in men, is another form of bunion, with a different treatment. )
In most cases, the treatment is surgical. Indeed, external correctors are not very effective, and arch supports often aggravate the problem, because they take up space in the shoes and increase friction on the bunion.
above, on the left: the line represents the saw cut which defines the correction; on the right, the correction made by pushing the first metatarsal towards the 2nd.
on the left, X-ray of the left foot before the operation: we see that the bone of the big toe, the metatarsal, is strongly deviated inwards, and that its head forms a protuberance under the skin, the onion. The first metatarsal is away from the second.
on the right, X-ray after the surgical correction: the head of the metatarsal has been moved towards the second toe and fixed by two small titanium screws: the position of the big toe is straight, and there is no more bunion. The first metatarsal has been brought closer to the second. The screws no longer need to be removed.
Other examples:
above: a titanium screw (length 20 mm)
Thanks to a special shoe that protects the operated area, the foot can be fully supported immediately after the operation, which facilitates rehabilitation. You have to wear this shoe for 6 weeks. You can then start walking normally again in a fairly wide shoe, then gradually in all types of shoes.