Bunion

At best, a bunion can make it uncomfortable to wear those fashionable shoes you adore. At their worst, bunion deformities can cause unrelenting pain and make it nearly impossible to slide on even your most comfortable slippers. The doctors can remedy your bunion problems and get you back into the footwear you love. Call today for an appointment or use their convenient online scheduling service.

Dr. Williams is nationwide representative for Lapiplasty

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What Is a Bunion?

A bunion is more than a bump on the side of your foot. A bunion, medically known as hallux valgus, is a progressive misalignment of the bones around the big toe joint.

As the bones gradually shift out of alignment, the big toe begins to move toward the second toe while the first metatarsal shifts in the opposite direction. This creates the visible bump on the inside of the foot.

Bunions can gradually become more noticeable over time. In more advanced cases, the big toe may overlap or cross over the second toe, making it difficult to wear shoes comfortably and affecting the way you walk.

Symptoms of a Bunion

Not everyone with a bunion experiences symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they may include:

• Pain or tenderness around the big toe joint
• Swelling and redness
• Burning, tingling, or numbness
• Difficulty finding comfortable shoes
• Pain when walking or standing
• Increased discomfort in shoes that crowd the toes
• Shoes becoming stretched or developing holes over the bunion
• The big toe often abuts the 2nd toe, causing hammertoes

Symptoms may become worse with narrow shoes, high heels, or prolonged periods of standing and walking.

What causes a bunion?

Bunions often develop because of an underlying foot structure or mechanics that make the foot more susceptible to the deformity. Genetics can play a role, meaning bunions may run in families.

Shoes with narrow toe boxes and high heels do not necessarily cause every bunion, but they can place additional pressure on the toes and may worsen symptoms.

Bunions can develop at different ages, including during the teenage years, and can progressively become more pronounced over time.

What is the conservative treatment for a bunion?

Treatment depends on the severity of the bunion, your symptoms, your activity level, and the structure of your foot.

For mild or minimally symptomatic bunions, treatment may focus on reducing discomfort and limiting pressure on the affected area. Options may include:

• Proper footwear: Shoes with a wide toe box can reduce pressure on the bunion.
• Padding: Bunion pads may help protect the prominent area from shoe pressure.
• Injection therapy: In some cases, an injection may help reduce pain and inflammation associated with the joint.
• Orthotics: Custom orthotics may help address abnormal foot mechanics and improve comfort.
• Observation: Some bunions can simply be monitored if they are not causing significant symptoms.

These treatments can help manage symptoms, but they do not straighten an established bunion deformity.

When Is Surgery Needed?

When bunion pain continues despite conservative treatment, or you bunion interfering with walking, exercise, work, or everyday activities, it may be time to discuss surgery. 

There are several surgical approaches to bunion correction. The appropriate procedure depends on the severity and type of deformity, bone alignment, joint stability, and your individual foot anatomy.

The 3 main categories are:

• Lapiplasty / Lapidus 
• Minimally Invasive Surgery 
• Traditional Bunion Surgery (uncommonly performed at Lincoln Park Podiatry)

Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery: How Is It Different From Lapiplasty®?

Patients often ask about the difference between minimally invasive (MIS) bunion surgery and Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction.  Although both approaches can use smaller incisions than traditional bunion surgery, they correct bunions in different ways. For those concered mainly with scars- MIS bunions are the way to go!

Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery

MIS bunion surgery uses small incisions to access and reposition the bones of the foot. Depending on the type and severity of the bunion, the surgeon may perform a bone cut, known as an osteotomy, to realign the big toe and reduce the bunion deformity.

MIS techniques can be appropriate for certain bunion deformities, but not every patient or every bunion is a candidate. The surgical approach depends on the patient's bone alignment, deformity, joint stability, and overall foot structure.

Learn more about minimally invasive bunion surgery here!

Lapiplasty

Traditional bunion procedures may involve cutting into and and repositioning the Joint to improve the alignment of the big toe. Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction takes a different approach by addressing the three-dimensional deformity at the first metatarsal base and stabilizing the bone there- avoiding the big toe joint.  The goal is to correct the underlying bunion deformity and restore alignment rather than simply "Shaving" the bump.

Not only this, but Lapiplasty has a low 3% recurrence rate.

Our doctors use the Lapiplasty technique to reposition the bone into a more anatomically aligned position and stabilize the area with specialized fixation. This allows you to walk the same day as surgery, in a walking boot!

Lapiplasty in Action

Here is an animation of the Lapiplasty® Procedure

Dr. Michael Williams, DPM, was invited by Treace Medical Concepts—the creators of Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction—to participate in an official Lapiplasty® webinar.

In this expert discussion, Dr. Williams shares his experience with the Lapiplasty® procedure for bunion correction, including his approach to patient selection, surgical technique, and treating bunion deformities.

We are proud to have Lincoln Park Podiatry represented in an educational webinar hosted by the company that developed the Lapiplasty® procedure.

Watch Dr. Williams discuss Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction and his experience with the procedure.

Want to See Examples of Our Surgical Results?

Every foot is different, and surgical results can vary depending on the severity and type of bunion deformity. Dr. Williams and Zemela will review examples of actual surgical results with you during your in-office consultation and answer your questions about the procedure, recovery, and expected results.

Click here to schedule a consultation and get all of your questions answered.