Clinical Significance of Increased Mobility in the Sagittal Plane in Patients with Hallux Valgus

Hallux valgus (HV) deformity is not always accompanied by pain. We compared roentgenograms of 32 feet of people with HV deformity and pain to roentgenograms of 22 feet of people with painless HV deformity. Twenty-three feet without HV deformity or pain were used as controls. Weightbearing and nonweightbearing roentgenograms of the lateral talar-first metatarsal angle showed a statistically significant difference between feet with deformity and pain compared with feet with painless HV, or compared with normal feet. Changes in the angles of HV between weightbearing and nonweightbearing situations showed significant differences between HV feet and normal feet, whether or not they had pain. In HV patients, increased mobility in the sagittal plane may play a considerable role in the development of pain.