Big Toe Joint/Bunion

Conditions About the Big Toe Joint

  • Gout – Should you suddenly develop severe pain, swelling and redness around the base of your big toe, you could be having a gout attack. Its important that you don’t try to fight through the pain as your big toe joint could suffer structural damage without proper treatment. Fortunately, treatment of gout can lead to a complete resolution of pain in a matter of days. The Foot & Ankle Group offices are equipped to accommodate an emergency appointment so that you are seen within 24-48 hours.
  • Arthritis (Hallux Limitus/Rigidus) – The great toe joint absorbs more wear and tear than any other mechanical structure in our body. It would be no surprise that the great toe joint can be susceptible to many acute and chronic conditions. The great toe joint can develop degenerative arthritis, leading to painful bone spurs and crippling stiffness. This condition can be treated with custom accommodated orthotics, corticosteroid injections and, corrective surgery. It is important to be treated by a well trained, experienced foot and ankle surgeon. Surgical procedure selection is based on many factors. Our surgeons at The Foot & Ankle Group have over 100 combined years of experience performing these procedures. In fact, our physicians teach these procedures to foot and ankle surgery
    residents at Jefferson and Virtua health systems.

bunion

Bunion

What caused that large bump by my big toe? This is one of the most commonly asked questions at the The Foot & Ankle Group.  The first misconception is that a bunion is simply a growth of bone.  Not true!  A bunion is a hereditary condition called Hallux Valgus.  What causes a bunion is an increasing angulation of the first metatarsal bone, causing a prominence of the first metatarsal head and a malalignment of this bone with the big toe.

Commonly asked Bunion Questions:

  1. Will my Bunion get bigger?
    Yes. Bunions are a progressive condition, which means that with the cyclical load, wear and tear over the years, the deformity will increase.

  2. Do I need an operation?
    The answer to that question is not the same for all patients.  If your bunion is small and causes no discomfort, it is reasonable to wear supportive shoes and arch supports to slow down the progression, and you may never require surgery.  On the other hand, if your bunion is painful and/or has an affect on your activity level, surgery may be your best option.  The decision is best made between you and your podiatric surgeon.

  3. Who is best suited to treat my bunion?
    Look no further than the board certified foot and ankle surgeons at The Foot & Ankle Group

Board Certified Foot & Ankle Surgeons with extensive experience in the most advanced bunion correction techniques.  Dr. Robert Filoramo, a founding member of The Foot & Ankle Group, has established our practice as a Lapiplasty Center of Excellence.  Lapiplasty is an innovative, three dimensional bunion correction system.

LAPIPLASTY

All of our surgeons have extensive training and experience in correcting the most complex of bunion deformities.

For bunions that may not be best suited for surgery, or for asymptomatic deformities that can be controlled conservatively, The Foot & Ankle Group offers a 4D state of the art scanning system to produce a custom molded orthotic device that is made to support your foots unique architecture and control the abnormal foot motion that accelerates your progressive deformity.