Comparison outcomes of cheilectomy, hemi-implant arthroplasty and decompression osteotomy for the treatment of hallux rigidus: A retrospective study of 153 patients

Abstract

This retrospective case series investigated the treatment outcomes for hallux rigidus. A total of 153 patients (130 females, 49 males) were included. Of the 153 patients, 26 were bilateral and 179 procedures met the inclusion criteria. The patients had undergone 1 of the following procedures: cheilectomy (Group 1), hemi-implant arthroplasty (Group 2), decompression metatarsal osteotomy (DMO) (Group 3), and DMO with hemi-implant (Group 4). Mean patient age was 57 years (range 18-82), and the mean follow-up period was 26 months (range 12-72). All patients regardless of procedure had improvement in pain score with Group 4 demonstrating the greatest reduction in pain at 99 %. The majority of patients in the study had Stage II hallux limitus/rigidus (HL/HR) (67 patients), followed by 62 patients with Stage III and 49 patients with Stage IV. Preoperatively, the majority of patients lacked dorsiflexion at the first metatarsophalangeal joint. Group 1 gained 16° in dorsiflexion from preoperative to postoperative, Group 2 gained 20°, Group 3 gained 30° and Group 4 gained 24° by the 12 month followup. The results revealed that adhesions were the most common complication for all 4 surgical groups. These four surgical procedures for the treatment of Stage II, III and IV hallux rigidus are viable options and lead to satisfactory long-term outcomes that restore function, relieve pain and improve joint range of motion. Each procedure has demonstrated satisfactory long-term outcomes and high patient satisfaction.