New Minimally Invasive Bunion Surgery: The End-All Be-All Bunion Repair?

Abstract

The revival of "new" minimally invasive bunion surgery (MIBS) is made possible as a laparoscopic-like fluoroscopically guided procedure using new instrumentation, advanced osseous realignment techniques and procedure-specific orthopedic hardware. Bunions of all severities can be treated with MIBS with a functional walking recovery in a small surgical shoe. Realignment occurs through a subcapital osteotomy with metatarsal head shifts that are stabilized by a single or dual metatarsal MIBS screw(s) that span a resultant osseous defect. Bone healing occurs by callus deposition, a process of "first metatarsal regeneration," resulting in a new straight realigned first metatarsal segment. New MIBS is rapidly evolving with widespread use and we are currently on the fifth & sixth generational update, highlighting a 1-screw construct. Surgeons are rapidly flocking to learn and incorporate this modern procedure in their daily practice.