Presentation
Painful bunion (see photograph below).
Patient Data
Soft tissue swelling near the medial aspect of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint (bunion).
The first metatarsophalangeal joint is abducted, which causes it to shift toward the sagittal midline (valgus deformity).
Some parameters were used to assess the hallux valgus:
first metatarsophalangeal angle: 27.16° (moderate)
intermetatarsal angle: 15.29º (moderate)
tibial sesamoid position: >50% displacement (grade 2)
Bunion upon physical examination.
Case Discussion
Hallux valgus refers to the lateral deviation of the great toe (or the deviation of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint to the sagittal midline).
Some radiographic parameters can be used to assess it, such as:
first metatarsophalangeal angle: angle between the axes of 1st metatarsal and the proximal phalanx of the great toe (normal: < 15º)
intermetatarsal angle: angle between the axes of 1st and 2nd metatarsals (normal: < 9º)
tibial sesamoid position: position of the tibial sesamoid in relation to the axis of the 1st metatarsal (normal: tibial sesamoid completely medial to the reference line)