ABC Certified Pedorthist (C-PED) Practice Exam

Bunions arise from hallux valgus, a deformity at the first metatarsophalangeal joint where the big toe drifts toward the second toe and a bony bump forms on the medial side of the foot. This valgus alignment creates the characteristic medial prominence and outward crowding of the toes that defines a bunion. The opposite condition, hallux varus, would involve the big toe turning toward the midline in the other direction, not forming a bunion. Metatarsalgia describes pain under the ball of the foot from load, not a toe alignment deformity, and Morton's neuroma is a nerve problem between the toes causing numbness or burning, not a bony bump at the first MTP joint.