Tailors Bunionette Surgery – Mini Bunion – 5th toe Bunion
Tailor’s Bunion Overview
A Tailor’s Bunion, or Bunionette, is a prominence of the bone just below the base of the little toe.
A Bunionette can develop over time, where the prominence becomes larger and slowly pushes the little toe in towards the other toes. The underlying cause may well be splaying of the metatarsal bones or outward bowing of the fifth metatarsal bone.
Tailor’s Bunion Symptoms and Diagnosis
The bony growth can cause the metatarsal head to be irritated during activity or in footwear and result in a redness, swelling and pain.
Tailor’s Bunion Causes
The precise cause of a Tailor’s Bunion is not known, although it is linked to:
An imbalance in the foots structure leading to an outgrowth to the side of the foot. This growth can be exacerbated by pressure and rubbing from footwear.
A bony spur growing out from the side of the foot
Although it is not thought that tight or heeled shoes cause a Tailor’s Bunion, they do exacerbate painful symptoms and may aid in progression of the issue.
Treatment
A Tailor’s Bunion can be managed with orthotics (shoe inserts) that can cushion the area and redistribute pressure to relieve symptoms. This treatment is often more effective with bespoke orthotics, which are moulded and designed to your particular foot type.
Wearing appropriate footwear that has plenty of space in the toe boxes is also helpful, alongside over-the-counter pain medication to manage the pain.
A steroid injection in to the bursitis that may develop can be helpful.
Tailor’s Bunionette Surgery
If more conservative measures don’t resolve symptoms then surgery may be a sensible treatment option. Find out more here.
