Treatment and diagnostics for abroad

Hallux valgus is the most common deformity of the foot in the metatarsophalangeal joint: the thumb deviates towards the rest of the fingers. The disease affects 23% of people under retirement age and more than 35% over the age of 65.

The causes of deformity can be prolonged wearing of uncomfortable shoes, inflammatory joint disease (arthritis) or a hereditary foot defect. When you change the position of the thumb, the joint under it begins to protrude. As a result, tight shoes cause pain, swelling, and redness of the skin. The doctor makes the diagnosis of Hallux valgus after an X-ray, which helps to determine the cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Conservative treatment can alleviate the symptoms. Patients are advised to wear orthopedic shoes and orthoses, and painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed. However, only surgery can correct a hallux valgus deformity. Surgery is prescribed when the pain becomes uncontrollable.

The treatment of hallux valgus deformity abroad includes modern surgery for various purposes, including:

• removal of swollen tissue around the thumb;
• straightening the thumb by removing part of the bone;
• moving the long bone between the back of the foot and the thumb to align the abnormal angle;
• fixation of the affected joint relative to the bone.

Surgical treatment of Hallux valgus abroad

Surgery of tendons and ligaments around the thumb

In some cases, the soft tissues around the thumb become too dense on one side and mobile on the other. This creates an imbalance that causes the thumb to drift towards the other toes. Surgery helps to remove some of the loose tissues and lengthen the dense ones. Basically, the procedure is performed together with an osteotomy.

Osteotomy

During an osteotomy, the surgeon makes small incisions in the bones and aligns the joint. The new position is fixed with pins, screws or plates. The result is that the bones become straighter and the joint becomes balanced.

To correct the hallux valgus deformity, osteotomy is performed in different places along the foot and combined with tendon surgery. Sometimes, in addition to cutting, a small wedge of bone is removed.

Arthrodesis

The surgeon removes the surface of the joint, then inserts screws or plates to hold the surfaces together until the bones heal. Arthrodesis is usually prescribed to patients with severe inflammatory diseases or as a follow-up surgery after a failed operation. The main advantage of the procedure is that there is no need for additional correction methods.

Exostectomy

Removal of exostemosis (an inflamed bulge on the joint) is rarely used to treat valgus deformity, as it does not rebuild the joint. Exostectomy is most often performed as part of corrective surgery, along with osteotomy and soft tissue surgery.

Resection arthroplasty

During surgery, the surgeon removes the damaged part of the joint. This increases the space between the bones and creates a flexible seam. Resection arthroplasty is mainly used for elderly patients with severe arthritis or after unsuccessful surgery.