Tailor’s bunion occurs when the shape of the bone bows outward, which creates a bony bulge on the outside of the foot in this area. Over time, a tailor's bunion causes your toe to turn in toward the other toes. If it becomes severe enough, your toe may begin to grow over or under other toes.
Often a tailor’s bunion is caused by an inherited faulty mechanical structure of the foot. In these cases, changes occur in the foot’s bony framework, resulting in the development of an enlargement. The fifth metatarsal bone starts to protrude outward, while the little toe moves inward. This shift creates a bump on the outside of the foot that becomes irritated whenever a shoe presses against it.
Sometimes a tailor’s bunion is actually a bony spur (an outgrowth of bone) on the side of the fifth metatarsal head.
Regardless of the cause, the symptoms of a tailor’s bunion are usually aggravated by wearing shoes that are too narrow in the toe, producing constant rubbing and pressure.
Surgery is often considered when pain continues despite the above approaches. In selecting the procedure or combination of procedures for your case, the foot and ankle surgeon will take into consideration the extent of your deformity based on the x-ray findings, your age, your activity level and other factors. The length of the recovery period will vary, depending on the procedure or procedures performed.
Tailor’s bunion is a notoriously difficult deformity to correct due to the small size of the distal fifth metatarsal, which often limits both the stability of shifting osteotomies as well as the ability to place hardware in mechanically stable locations.
A common practice is to place a k-wire parallel to the fifth ray that is only driven into the proximal fragment, with the goal of merely buttressing the distal fragment from shifting back to its previous position. This leaves the distal fragment unfixed and potentially able to shift dorsally or plantarly, or even rotate axially. The PROstep MIS bunionette system gives the surgeon a means to more fully fixate the distal fragment while avoiding relying on a k-wire sticking out of the end of the toe, and it is still performed in a minimally invasive procedure.
Delivered by Stryker, the leader in foot and ankle5, PROstep minimally invasive surgery helps you give patients the bunion pain relief they need, while also providing the faster recovery they desire. PROSTEP MIS utilizes percutaneous, micro incisions to correct bunions as well as perform DMMO, cheilectomy and other procedures.
When compared to traditional bunion surgery, PROstep MICA results in:
- Quicker return to function
- Less pain
- Smaller scars
- Overall increased patient satisfaction
- Less need for opioids post-op
Visit us at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine today and book your appointment with Dr. Mohammed Athar, specializing in foot and ankle and hip and knee and certified in the PROstep minimally invasive bunion surgery.
