Tailor's bunion: a review

Abstract

The tailor's bunion is a painful bony prominence on the lateral aspect of the fifth metatarsal head that occurs in many individuals, but seldom causes symptoms. This article reviews the current literature regarding the presentation, etiology, and management of the tailor's bunion. The first line of management should be conservative, with advice on shoe wear. Orthotics may be useful if a symptomatic tailor's bunion results from excessive subtalar joint pronation. Operative management, indicated when symptoms are not controlled nonoperatively, aims to decrease foot width and the prominence of the tailor's bunion. Procedures can be grouped into resections and distal, diaphyseal, and proximal osteotomies. A distal osteotomy is recommended if medial translation of the head for one-third of the width of the metatarsal shaft produces a normal fourth-fifth intermetatarsal angle. A proximal osteotomy can be performed in the face of larger deformities. The management of recurrent tailor's bunion is still controversial. If the recurrence is due to under-correction, or if the initial procedure was not the best suited to that particular patient, then revision surgery may be helpful, after the cause of the failure has been established. Although unpopular, resection should be considered as the final salvage procedure.