Managing Complications of Foot and Ankle Surgery: Hallux Valgus.

Hallux valgus deformity is nowadays one of the most common and symptomatic disorders affecting the foot. Surgical corrections of hallux valgus deformity are among the most common orthopedic procedures. Despite the general high success rate complications can occur. The treatment of complications start before the first incision has been performed by thorough preoperative planning and choice of the right procedure. Once the complication is evident, thorough planning is necessary to address the patient's individual needs. In this paper the treatment of recurrent hallux valgus, hallux varus, malunion, and avascular necrosis are discussed.

Minimally invasive distal first metatarsal osteotomy can be an option for recurrent hallux valgus.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence rate of surgical treatment of hallux valgus ranges in the literature from 2.7% to 16%, regardless of used procedure. In this study, long-term results of a minimally invasive distal osteotomy of the first metatarsal bone for treatment of recurrent hallux valgus are described. METHODS: 32 consecutive percutaneous distal osteotomies of the first metatarsal were performed in 26 patients for treatment of recurrent hallux valgus. Primary surgery had been soft tissue procedures in 8 cases (25%), first metatarsal or phalangeal osteotomies in 19 cases (59.4%) and Keller procedures in 5 cases (15.6%). RESULTS: Patients were assessed with a mean follow-up of 9.8±4.3 years. All patients reported the disappearance or reduction of the pain. The mean overall AOFAS score improved from 46.9±17.8 points to 85.2±14.9 at final follow-up. The mean hallux valgus angle decreased from 26.1±9.1 to 9.7±5.4°, the intermetatarsal angle decreased from 11.5±4.5 to 6.7±4.0°. No major complications were recorded with a re-recurrence rate of 3.1% (1 case). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous distal osteotomy of the first metatarsal can be a reliable and safe surgical option in the recurrent hallux valgus with low complication rate and the advantages of a minimally invasive surgery. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: IV, Retrospective Case Series.

High Rate of Recurrence Following Proximal Medial Opening Wedge Osteotomy for Correction of Moderate Hallux Valgus.

BACKGROUND: The proximal medial opening wedge (PMOW) osteotomy has become more popular to treat moderate to severe hallux valgus with the recent development of specifically designed, low-profile modular plates. Despite the promising results previously reported in the literature, we have noted a high incidence of recurrence in patients treated with a PMOW. The purpose of this study was to report the clinical and radiographic outcomes of an initial cohort of patients treated with a PMOW osteotomy for moderate hallux valgus. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed prospectively gathered data on a cohort of 17 consecutive patients who were treated by the senior author using a PMOW osteotomy for moderate hallux valgus deformity. Average time to follow-up was 2.4 years (range, 1.0-3.5 years). The intermetatarsal angle (IMA), the hallux valgus angle (HVA), and the distal metatarsal articular angle (DMAA) were assessed on standard weightbearing radiographs of the foot preoperatively and at all follow-up visits. The Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) was collected on all patients preoperatively and at final follow-up. RESULTS: Despite demonstrating good correction of their deformity initially, 11 of the 17 patients (64.7%) had evidence of recurrence of their hallux valgus deformity at final follow-up. Patients who recurred had a greater preoperative HVA (P = .023) and DMAA (P = .049) than patients who maintained their correction. Improvement in the quality-of-life subscale of the FAOS was noted at final follow-up for all patients (P = .05). There was no significant improvement in any of the other FAOS subscales. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high rate of recurrence of the hallux valgus deformity in this cohort of patients. Recurrence was associated with greater preoperative deformity and an increased preoperative DMAA. The PMOW without a concomitant distal metatarsal osteotomy may be best reserved for patients with mild hallux valgus deformity without an increased DMAA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.