Discrete Bunion Surgical System Aids Walking Recovery

A minimally invasive bunion repair system enables surgeons to restore toe alignment through a small incision on the side of the foot.

The CrossRoads Extremity Systems (Memphis, TN, USA) miniBunion 3D System is a micro-titanium implant designed to provide immediate stability to a bunion patient’s foot to allow a fast return to activity. The procedure is performed via a small, 1-2.5 cm incision on the side of the foot. The bone is realigned in all three dimensions with Viking (Overland Park, KS, USA) surgical instruments and the miniBunion implant is then attached to the bone to hold it in proper 3D alignment. The incision is then closed with a suture.

“Bunion surgery can now be performed with very little soft-tissue damage, which provides stability and permits immediate weight-bearing after surgery,” said Bradley Lamm, DPM, lead design surgeon for the miniBunion 3D System. “Minimally invasive surgical techniques preserve blood supply to the bones and allow less pain, reduced swelling, a smaller scar and faster recovery than other surgical options.”

“I have been performing the miniBunion 3D procedure for over a year. Compared to traditional bunion procedures, our patients have been returning more quickly to regular activities with less scarring and normal foot motion,” said Randy Leff, DPM, of MichFoots Surgeons (Southfield, MI, USA). “The miniBunion procedure has set our practice apart and patients are seeking us out for minimally-invasive surgery and a walking recovery.”

A bunion is a painful bony bump that develops when the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints move out of alignment; the long metatarsal bone shifts toward the inside of the foot, and the phalanx bones of the big toe angle toward the second toe. The MTP joint gets larger and protrudes from the inside of the forefoot. The enlarged joint is often inflamed, red, and swollen. The word bunion, in fact, comes from the Greek word for turnip, hinting to its appearance.

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