Why Us?

The bunion is a complex deformity that arises for many reasons. It is primarily a deviation of the toe on the first metatarsal and the medial cuneiform.

However, it is much more complex than that. The majority of surgeons do not appreciate the fundamental nature of the bunion and the inherit instability of the foot that leads to the bunion. That is where Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists are different than the majority of clinics, we specialize in bunions and are considered the premier experts.

To further expend on why we are the only place to have bunion surgery will take a little understanding of the deformity itself. The bunion is not a simple deviation of the toe it is complex condition that requires consideration of the overall foot structure and the cardinal planes of the body. Cardinal planes or anatomical planes are terms we use to describe the three-dimensional relationship of the human body

and how it moves in space. The three cardinal planes are the frontal, transverse and saggital.

Why are these cardinal planes important when it comes to bunion surgery?

It is extremely important to evaluate all three anatomical planes when it comes to a bunion. The vast majority of bunion surgeons do not evaluate the bunion with respect to these planes and often use a 2-D picture to describe a 3-D problem. An example of this is what is called the Anterior-Posterior x-ray view. This is the view most commonly employed for a bunion.

The problem with only evaluating the bunion on this top-down view is it only provides a picture of the deformity in one anatomical plane. This is where the problem lies. The large majority of bunion surgeons stop here and provide a correction in this plane only. This can ultimately result in reoccurrence and revisional surgery. This is an incomplete understanding of the bunion and one of the main reasons for poor outcomes. Issaquah Foot & Ankle Specialists provide a complete evaluation of the foot and bunion as a whole. That is why we also incorporate an x-ray technique that helps to evaluate the bunion relationship to the foot and all anatomical planes.

The above picture is called a sesamoid axial x-ray. It is one of the most important x-rays for a bunion. This helps the surgeon, in combination with the top-down view we saw above, make the best possible decision in planning for a bunion deformity correction. This sesamoid view above determines the bunion’s relationship in another anatomical plane the frontal plane. The frontal plane basically describes the position of the bunion and whether there is any rotation of the bone. If your surgeon only looks in one cardinal plane, they will miss the rotation of the bunion and only provide correction in one plane and your reoccurrence rate goes up.

I strongly recommend anybody that is contemplating bunion surgery to have your foot evaluated by one of our Doctors, we are Board Certified Bunion Experts and have over 30 years of experience and performed 1000’s of bunion surgeries.

Give us a call today at 425-391-8666 or make an appointment online today.