551 Judge

551 Hallux abducto valgus is one of the most common deformities encountered in podiatric medical practice. Hallux abducto valgus, commonly referred to as a bunion, may have two components: a rigid or structural component and a dynamic or flexible one. One component usually predominates over the other. The dynamic or flexible component is reducible clinically or after lateral soft-tissue release intraoperatively. The rigid or structural component is not reducible (Fig. 1). Some have suggested that a hallux abducto valgus deformity of a dynamic nature can be corrected by the use of musculotendinous balancing procedures alone, precluding the need for any type of osteotomy.1-6 When the increase in the intermetatarsal angle is secondary to a structural abnormality, an osteotomy or arthrodesis procedure is necessary to achieve the desired correction (Fig. 2).7-19 Soft-tissue manipulation and osseous correction are often combined in hallux abducto valgus surgery. The stepwise approach to soft-tissue correction involves release of the adductor tendon followed by the The Effect of Hallux Abducto Valgus Surgery on the Sesamoid Apparatus Position