Long term follow up on treatment of hallux sesamoid fracture with temporary first metatarsal joint internal fixation

Fracture of the hallucial sesamoids is a pathology that causes difficulty for surgeons and patients. Because of the low incidence and the fact that up to 64–90 % heal with non-operative management, there is a lack of clear guidance in the literature for the surgical treatment of sesamoid fracture in cases of failure of non-operative management. Here long term follow up of an alternative method of surgical treatment of sesamoid fracture recalcitrant to nonoperative management is presented.

32 individuals were treated with temporary surgical immobilisation of the 1st metatarsophalangeal joint using either crossed wires or two orthogonally placed two hole plates. The patients then underwent removal of the construct at 8 weeks post op after confirmation of healing on a CT scan. There was a 94 % union rate. Return to work was 61 days (15–90) return to sport 80 days (64–112) with no immediate complications and no recurrence. At last follow up mean 10 years (4–16) only 2 patients had gone on to asymptomatic non-union and one patient developed arthritis between the sesamoid and the metatarsal head. No patient has required further surgical intervention.

This retrospective cohort of patients demonstrate that this method of treatment is a valuable option in the management of sesamoid fracture which does not alter the biomechanics of the foot and has none of the long term complications of sesamoidectomy or partial sesamoidectomy.