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Common Causes of Bunions
Causes of "Bunions"
Are shoes to blame? Yes and no. Research studies have shown that in countries where people do not wear shoes there are not as many bunions, but bunions are still found in some non-shoe wearing people. In countries where people do where shoes, there is a greater number of people who have bunions, but not everyone who wears shoes gets bunions. That means there must be other factors besides shoes that contribute to bunions.
Studies have shown that 63-68% of people who have bunions have a family history of bunions. So, heredity definitely plays a part. You do not inherit the bunions, but you inherit the foot type that may lead to bunions. Certain foot types cause the bones to change position and go out of alignment. This in turn allows the muscles and tendons to take advantage over other muscles and tendons and over time these changes may lead to bunions. Take a look at the feet of your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, sisters and brothers. There may be bunions in your family that you were not aware of.
Other possible causes of bunions:
- Shoes (especially high-heeled shoes)
- Flat feet (pes planus) and pronation (foot rolls in)
- Metatarsus primus varus (first metatarsal bone rotates)
- Short or long first metatarsal bone
- Round first metatarsal head
- Hypermobility (excess motion) of the metatarsocuneiform joint
- Amputation of the second toe
- Neuromuscular disorders (cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Contracture (shortening) of the achilles tendon
- Ruptured posterior tibialis tendon
- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hyperelasticity)