RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The surgical treatment of hallux valgus (HV) deformity has been the subject of countless publications but few focus on the altered windlass mechanism or analyze the biomechanical behavior immediately after surgery. METHODS: Patients treated for HV between January and March 2023 were included. The surgery consisted of a L-reverse first metatarsal osteotomy. To analyze the windlass mechanism we record two different measurements; the isolated first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) dorsiflexion angle (IDA) and dynamic plantarization of the first metatarsal head when performing first MTPJ dorsiflexion imprinting a mark on a modeling foam. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients diagnosed with symptomatic HV were included. In all patients, a change in the IDA angle was evident, being overall statistically significant. About modeling foam imprinted mark, all measurements, in all planes of space, had a clear tendency to increase, which turned out to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An altered windlass mechanism may be successfully recovered immediately after hallux valgus deformity surgery. This could be evinced by an indirect measurement analyzing the imprint of the head of the first metatarsal in a modeling foam and the IDA. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE II: None.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Description of a large cohort of Akin osteotomies without fixation (286 feet), to depict the mean angular correction, to analyze complication rates and to pull over with rates described in the literature with other techniques. METHODS: Retrospective single-center cohort study. Five radiologic measurements analyzed preoperatively and postoperatively until fusion was completed. Evaluation of all peri- and postoperative complication rates. Evaluation of correlation between complications and the presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), smoking and rheumatic disease. RESULTS: Between 2011 and 2018, 222 patients, 286 feet (147 left, 139 right) met the inclusion criteria. We found an average difference between pre-op and post-op at 3 months of distal articular set angle (DASA) of 7.0 degrees and average interphalangeal joint obliquity angle (IPOA) of 12.0 degrees (p < 0.001). All cases achieved fusion but in 5.9 % (17/289 cases) of cases, we observed delayed consolidation. The average union time in these cases was 22.1 weeks. Hyperextension of the distal fragment (mal union in plantar flexion) was observed in 7 cases (2.4 %). None of the 7 cases required correction. Out of 286 surgeries, 8 (2.7 %) required reoperation, but only one case for a hypocorrection required Akin's re osteotomy. Regarding the inter- and intra-observer correlations, good and excellent reliability are observed for all parameters under consideration. CONCLUSION: The absence of internal fixation would appear not to impair osteotomy healing and complication rates compared with techniques with fixation would not appear to be worse. The results are encouraging; nevertheless, we believe that further studies need to be performed in order to confirm the data. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV retrospective cases series.
