A bunion is a bony bump that forms on the joint at the base of your big toe. A bunion forms when your big toe pushes against your next toe, forcing the joint of your big toe to get bigger and stick out. The skin over the bunion might be red and sore.
Wearing tight, narrow shoes might cause bunions or might make them worse. Bunions can also develop as a result of an inherited structural defect, stress on your foot or a medical condition, such as arthritis.
Smaller bunions (bunionettes) also can develop on the joint of your little toes.
Feb. 11, 2014
- Bunions. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00155. Accessed Sept. 1, 2013.
- Bunions. American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. http://www.foothealthfacts.org/footankleinfo/bunions.htm. Accessed Sept. 1, 2013.
- Ferrari J. Hallux valgus deformity (bunion). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed Sept. 1, 2013.
- Usatine RP, et al. The Color Atlas of Family Medicine. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=8210081. Accessed Sept. 2, 2013.
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