Abstract
Background
As hallux valgus (HV) worsens clinical and radiological signs of arthritis develop in metatarsophalangeal joint due to incongruity of joint surfaces. The purpose of this prospective study was to determine if intraoperative mapping of articular erosion of the first metatarsal head, base of the proximal phalanx, and tibial and fibular sesamoids can be correlated to clinical and/or radiographic parameters used during the preoperative assessment of the HV deformity
Materials and methods
We analysed 50 patients prospectively who underwent surgery between Jan 2009-Jan 2010. Patients with a known history of previous first metatarsophalangeal joint surgical intervention, trauma, or systemic arthritis were excluded from analysis. Preoperative demographics and AOFAS score were recorded. Intraoperative evaluation and quantification of the first metatarsal head, base of the proximal phalanx, and sesamoid articular cartilage erosion was performed. Cartilage wear was documented using International Cartilage Research Society grading.
Results and Discussion
P. Bock et al have showed that the extent of cartilage lesions were clearly correlated with the degree of hallux valgus angle proving that a malaligned joint is more prone to cartilage degeneration.
Kristen et al have described a correlation between a higher pre-operative hallux valgus angle and the post-operative Kitaoka et al score. The higher the preoperative hallux valgus angle, the lower the post-operative score.
Our series showed the mean IMA is 15 degrees. The mean AOFAS score was 62. There was a significant positive correlation between hallux valgus angle and AOFAS score. We also found correlation between sesamoid wear and AOFAS score and HV angle.
Conclusion
We conclude that preoperative clinical parameters (ie, age) and radiographic measurements (ie, HV, IMA) directly define the incidence and location of articular erosion and are helpful in the preoperative assessment of the HV deformity
