Bunions - Risk factors

Bunions

Risk factors for bunions

Some things increase your chances of getting bunions. Doctors call these things risk factors. Having a risk factor doesn't mean you'll get a bunion for sure. It just means you're more likely to get one than someone who doesn't have the risk factor.

Here are some things that make it more likely that you will get a bunion or that your bunion will get worse.

Your foot rolls to the inside when you walk. Doctors call this pronation. This puts most of your weight on the inside of your foot when you're walking. It puts too much pressure on your main foot bone. This makes your toe joint less stable, so your bones start to move.

Source:
Coughlin M.
Hallux valgus.
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 1996; 78: 932-966.

¹
You have a long big toe. Your big toe may be a lot longer than your other toes. Bunions seem to be more common in people with long big toes.
The main bone in your foot has a rounded end. The end of this bone joins the end of your big toe bone. The ends should fit together snugly. But if the end of the main bone is rounded, instead of flat, your big toe bone can slip around it and move out of place.
Your parents have bunions. You don't get bunions from your parents. But you may get their foot type. Some types of feet are more likely to get bunions. For example, if you have flat feet, your arches are low, or your joints or

tendons
Tendons are the tough, rope-like connections between your muscles and your bones.

tendons are loose, it's more likely.

Source:
Mann RA, Coughlin MJ.
Adult hallux valgus.
In: Surgery of the foot and ankle, volume 1. 7th edition. Mosby, St Louis, U.S.A.; 1999.

²

Source:
American Podiatric Medical Association.
Bunions.
Available at http://www.apma.org (accessed on 12 March 2009).

³
You are older. Bunions are more common in older people. This is probably because of the extra years of using the joint.
Your shoes are too tight. Wearing shoes that are too narrow or pointed may make your bunions worse.

Source:
Coughlin M.
Hallux valgus.
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 1996; 78: 932-966.

¹
You wear high heels. High heels force your toes into the front of your shoes and crowd them.

Source:
American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.
Bunions.
Available at http://www.footphysicians.com (accessed on 12 March 2009).

⁴
Your job keeps you on your feet. Jobs like this put more stress on your feet. Some examples are working as a waiter, factory worker, dancer or athlete.

Source:
British Chiropody and Podiatry Association.
Fact sheet: Bunions.
Available at http://www.premierfootcare.com (accessed on 12 March 2009).

⁵
You're a woman. The bones of men's feet and women's feet differ a bit.

Source:
Ferrari J, Hopkinson DA, Linney AD.
Size and shape differences between male and female foot bones: is the female foot predisposed to hallux abducto valgus deformity?
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2004; 94: 434-452.

⁶ In women's feet, the bones can move more, and the big toe joint gets out of line more easily.

Source:
Ferrari J, Hopkinson DA, Linney AD.
Size and shape differences between male and female foot bones: is the female foot predisposed to hallux abducto valgus deformity?
Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2004; 94: 434-452.

⁶ Women are also more likely to wear tight shoes with high heels that make bunions worse.
You have arthritis. With

arthritis
Arthritis is when your joints become inflamed, making them stiff and painful. There are different kinds of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type. It happens when the cartilage at the end of your bones becomes damaged and then starts to grow abnormally. Rheumatoid arthritis happens because your immune system attacks the lining of your joints.

arthritis, the tough tissue that covers and protects your big toe joint is weak. Doctors call this tissue cartilage. Also, the ends of the bones in your joint can get bumpy instead of smooth. These things can let your bones slip out of place. Arthritis can cause bunions and make them worse.

Source:
American Podiatric Medical Association.
Bunions.
Available at http://www.apma.org (accessed on 12 March 2009).

³
You injured your foot. Injuries can damage the bones, muscles or tendons in your toe joint. If your joint is less stable after an injury, your big toe may start to move out of line. Other foot injuries can affect the way you walk and put more pressure on your big toe joint. Sports injuries are common causes of bunions.

Sources for the information on this page:

Coughlin M.Hallux valgus.Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 1996; 78: 932-966.

Mann RA, Coughlin MJ.Adult hallux valgus.In: Surgery of the foot and ankle, volume 1. 7th edition. Mosby, St Louis, U.S.A.; 1999.

American Podiatric Medical Association.Bunions.Available at http://www.apma.org (accessed on 12 March 2009).

American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.Bunions.Available at http://www.footphysicians.com (accessed on 12 March 2009).

British Chiropody and Podiatry Association.Fact sheet: Bunions.Available at http://www.premierfootcare.com (accessed on 12 March 2009).

Ferrari J, Hopkinson DA, Linney AD.Size and shape differences between male and female foot bones: is the female foot predisposed to hallux abducto valgus deformity?Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2004; 94: 434-452.

This information was last updated on Apr 09, 2009

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