====== Bunions ======

A bunion is an inflammation (and subsequent deformation) of the joint where the big toe joins the main part of the foot. They are persistent and often painful. ([[https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/muscles-bones-joints/bunions|ref.]]) It's thought they affect between 23% and 35% of the population. ([[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2955707/|ref.]])

>The common deformity of the first ray known as a 'bunion' is a progressive positional deformity which leads to pain from shoe pressure and bio-mechanical malfunction of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint. While the medial bump is widely considered the etiology of pain, malalignment results in progressive joint adaptation and degeneration. __The exact bio-mechanical fault and the etiology of the progression of the deformity remain unclear.__\\ \\ Source : Dayton, Paul D. (2017). [[https://books.google.pt/books?id=NK80DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false|Evidence-Based Bunion Surgery: A Critical Examination of Current and Emerging Concepts and Techniques.]]

It's currently thought that there could be a combination of internal and external causes which might contribute to the formation of bunions - including genetic factors, ill-fitting footwear, and rheumatoid arthritis. But, as the quote above states, exact reasons are currently unknown.