Bones on the legs or why hallux valgus develops

The bones in the legs do not immediately disturb the patients with pain, but they lead to an appointment with a doctor, a plastic surgeon due to the fact that the foot is deformed, looks crooked and flattened. There are difficulties with the selection of shoes, trouble when walking barefoot. Such a deformity of the foot – this is not just a cosmetic defect, but a disease called Hallux valgus (halus valgus) and in translation means the deviation of the thumb outward. Women suffer from this disease much more often than men, this is due to the peculiarities of their ligamentous apparatus.

Why do bones appear on the legs, signs of hallux valgus

Bone on the legs is not a concern for every woman who loves high heels and wears tight shoes. A predisposing factor for the development of hallux valgus is the insufficient development of connective tissue in the patient. This feature is often transmitted at the genetic level, from mother and grandmother, and can manifest itself in the form of a predisposition to varicose veins, flat feet, increased ligament extensibility, including deformity of the foot in the form of a protruding bone on the legs.

Another cause of hallux valgus can be injuries and deformities of the feet – due to diseases or congenital ones, in which the nerve endings on the foot or lower leg were damaged, the regulation of the work of the ligaments and the tension of the muscles were disrupted, which means that the metatarsophalangeal joint becomes mobile, unstable.

When a deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint is formed, its inner surface constantly rubs against the shoes, gets irritated and eventually becomes covered with a bone outgrowth, which deforms the foot even more. At the same time, a change in its shape due to hallux valgus leads to a redistribution of the load on the second and third metatarsophalangeal joints, which causes pain in the thumb when walking, and later to the formation of arthrosis of these joints.

Increased deformity of the metatarsophalangeal joint causes the big toe to curve outward and lie on the second toe, often causing its deformity. The foot becomes flat and wide

Patients with hallux valgus complain of aching pain in the big toe when walking, sometimes at night – after a heavy load on the legs. In the early stages of this disease, the pain is not severe, rather discomfort, but as the deformity of the finger increases, the pain can become burning, constant, aching. The more twisted the finger, the more pronounced the pain syndrome.

On palpation, there is firmness and slight swelling of the skin, mild pain, the mobility of the first metatarsophalangeal joint is usually limited. When the finger is extended, the patient feels pain.

Methods and principles of treatment of bunions on the legs

For young patients with mild metatarsophalangeal joint deformity and for all elderly patients, conservative therapy for hallux valgus is indicated, which includes:

• weight control, weight loss;
• wearing orthopedic shoes that prevent further deformity of the joint;
• exclusion of prolonged standing and walking;
• special exercises and massages to strengthen the ligaments of the foot.

Surgical treatment of hallux valgus is possible using a variety of techniques – depending on the specific degree of deformity and the patient's condition: this may be a correction at the level of excision and displacement of the tendons, removal of a bone growth, there may be an osteotomy (with significant joint deformities).

After the operation, it is recommended to wear a special orthosis for a long time, moderate loads on the foot, select comfortable wide shoes, regular strengthening exercises and massage.