Foot Shape in Women With and Without Hallux Valgus Determined Using 3-Dimensional Foot Scanning

Hallux valgus (HV) is a prevalent forefoot deformity that alters foot shape and occurs more frequently in women and older adults. Few studies have investigated the influence of HV on three-dimensional (3D) foot structure in age-matched samples.

This cross-sectional study utilised data from two separate studies conducted in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty women (mean ± SD age = 63.8 ± 8.7 years) with HV were age-matched to 20 women without HV (63.8 ± 8.6 years). Participants underwent 3D foot scanning, comparing measurements of the most symptomatic HV feet with corresponding control feet. Differences in foot dimensions between groups were calculated using independent sample t-tests.

Women with HV demonstrated larger foot breadth (103.1 ± 6.2 vs. 98.0 ± 5.6, mean difference [MD] = 5.13 mm, p = 0.009), ball girth circumference (245.9 ± 13.9 vs. 234.1 ± 11.5, MD = 11.86 mm, p = 0.006), heel breadth (65.9 ± 3.9 vs. 62.8 ± 3.8, MD = 3.13 mm, p = 0.015), height of top of ball girth (39.9 ± 2.8 vs. 37.4 ± 2.2, MD = 2.56 mm, p = 0.003), and toe 1 angle (24.1 ± 8.0 vs. 9.8 ± 8.0, MD = 14.29°, p < 0.001). There were no differences in rearfoot position (as indicated by heel bone angle) observed between the groups (3.0 ± 2.8 vs. 3.1 ± 3.0°, p = 0.952).

Women with HV exhibited a broader forefoot and heel compared with those without the deformity. Moreover, women with HV displayed a larger ball girth circumference and height of the top of the ball girth, suggesting that vertical dimensional changes occur in this condition. These findings suggest that individuals with HV may benefit from adequate footwear fitting and new lacing techniques and inform the development of targeted footwear modifications or HV-specific footwear manufacturing guidelines.