Hallux valgus in a middle-aged woman

Case presentation

A 59-year-old teacher presents with increasing pain and inflammation over her bunions. For at least five years, she has been aware of increasing deformity associated with activity-related discomfort and inflammation over the bunions themselves. More recently, she has also noticed a pain located in the region of the second metatarsophalangeal joint that worsens with activity. She says she has always tended to wear ‘sensible’ shoes, but the increasing width of her forefoot has made buying comfortable footwear increasingly difficult.