Foot Shape in Women With and Without Hallux Valgus Determined Using 3-Dimensional Foot Scanning.
- 1Discipline of Podiatry, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- 2Faculty of Sports Science and Center of Excellence in Exercise Physiology for Special Populations, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Abstract
Introduction
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.Methods
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.Results
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).Conclusion
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.
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BibTeX
@article{limanou2026foot,
title = {{Foot Shape in Women With and Without Hallux Valgus Determined Using 3-Dimensional Foot Scanning.}},
author = {Gabriel R Limanou and Polly Q X Lim and Merridy J Lithgow and Andrew K Buldt and Shannon E Munteanu and Hylton B Menz},
journal = {Journal of foot and ankle research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/jfa2.70234},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908118},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Foot Shape in Women With and Without Hallux Valgus Determined Using 3-Dimensional Foot Scanning.
AU - Gabriel R Limanou
AU - Polly Q X Lim
AU - Merridy J Lithgow
AU - Andrew K Buldt
AU - Shannon E Munteanu
AU - Hylton B Menz
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Journal of foot and ankle research
DO - 10.1002/jfa2.70234
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42908118
AB - Introduction 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.Methods 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.Results 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).Conclusion 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.
SN - 1757-1146
ER -