What are bunions and bunions? The big toe is called a bunion. If the big toe tilts toward the side of the rest of the toe, it is called a bunion. This is caused by the toe and metatarsal joints not being in line with normal body mechanics. If the medial edge of the bunion bone protrudes, it can cause a bunion. Bunions are usually hereditary, but many are caused by improper shoe wear. They occur more frequently in women than in men, but very rarely in people who do not wear shoes. Once stiffness occurs, the bunion will slowly deform. Treatment depends on the degree of discomfort. Pain from stiffness is often caused by shoe wear, and symptoms are related to the type of shoe worn, and individual perceptions of pain and discomfort vary greatly. Some patients have only mild bunions, but the discomfort is very pronounced because it affects their comfort in shoes. Other patients have a more severe orthopedic condition, which they dislike, but have no discomfort when wearing shoes. In fact, there are only two ways to treat bunions, one is to change the shape of the shoe; the other is to change the shape of the foot. Obviously, changing the shoe fitting is much simpler and easier for men and easier for women. Once bunions are prone to pain and discomfort in shoes, surgical treatment is required. There are many different surgical approaches, the choice of which depends on the severity of the stiffness, the manifestation of the bunion, and the size of the space between the first two metatarsals, which is called the intermetatarsal angle.