Quantitative Assessment of Hallux Valgus Metatarsal Pronation with the Use of Inertial Axes

Hallux Valgus affects the feet of people of all ages, predominantly elderly women. While the current standard of care involves x-rays, bunions are a three-dimensional deformity which includes rotation of the longitudinal axis of the first metatarsal. While this rotation has been proven to exist there currently is no standard means to quantify this angle. Recent studies have evaluated this angle using solid models of the foot which analyzed this rotation using points picked on boney landmarks. While this is a valid way of identifying the rotation, complications arise with replicability between raters. The current research seeks to show that the inertial (principal) axes from these anatomical models not only properly measures this angle but also alleviates the issues revolving around reproducibility